Prospective associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and biological aging in adolescence

Abstract Background Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been related to poorer lifespan health, their association with DNA methylation-based indicators of biological aging during adolescence remains incompletely understood, particularly across intersecting social positions. To address this gap, we used an intersectional race–sex approach to identify ACE patterns and examine their associations with biological aging in adolescence. Method Participants ( n = 1,655) were drawn from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a racially diverse urban U.S. birth cohort. ACEs were measured prospectively from ages 3 to 9 and modeled using latent class analysis with measurement invariance testing across six intersecting race–sex groups. Biological aging was assessed using saliva-derived DNA methylation measures at ages 9 and 15, and for change from age 9 to 15 using PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPACE. Results Two ACE classes emerged within each racial/ethnic group. Among Black participants, females showed higher PhenoAge estimates than males across classes at ages 9 and 15 and for longitudinal change. Among White participants, females in the Single-Parent Poverty & Maternal Substance Use class showed higher PhenoAge estimates at age 9 than females in the Maternal Substance Use class, although this difference was not observed at age 15 or for longitudinal change. Findings for GrimAge and DunedinPACE were less consistent. Conclusion Prospectively measured ACE configurations showed selective associations with adolescent DNA methylation–based aging measures, most consistently for PhenoAge. Findings support intersectional, person-centered approaches to identifying heterogeneity in early biological risk and underscore the need for caution in interpreting clock-specific findings in youth.