Authors: C. Costi, G. Menta, J. Caro, A.E. Clark, C. D'Ambrosio
Abstract
Poverty certainly has immediate effects on well-being, but does it also affect how fast we age? We analyse epigenetic information from individuals in the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS). Biological age acceleration is measured via the Dunedin Pace-of-Aging, an epigenetic clock capturing how fast an individual is aging biologically relative to their peers. Contemporaneous poverty, both in incidence and intensity, is associated with faster biological aging. In addition, those who experienced poverty in the past age faster, even when they are currently not poor. Last, the time profile of poverty matters: given the extent of past poverty, longer continuous spells are more damaging in terms of faster aging. Not only do the poor, both now and in the past, age faster, but uninterrupted poverty makes us older.