Childhood sleep health and epigenetic age acceleration in late adolescence: Cross‐sectional and longitudinal analyses. (3rd March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Balfour, David; Melton, Phillip E.; McVeigh, Joanne A.; Huang, Rae‐Chi; Eastwood, Peter R.; Wanstall, Sian; Reynolds, Amy C.; Cohen‐Woods, Sarah
• Is Part Of: Acta pædiatrica. Volume 112:Number 5(2023)
• Page Start: 1001
• Page End: 1010
• Publication Date: 2023-03-03
• Subjects: biological age -- childhood -- DNA methylation -- methylation age -- the Raine Study; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pediatrics; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1111/apa.16719
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0803-5253

Abstract

Abstract: Aim: Investigate if childhood measures of sleep health are associated with epigenetic age acceleration in late adolescence. Methods: Parent‐reported sleep trajectories from age 5 to 17, self‐reported sleep problems at age 17, and six measures of epigenetic age acceleration at age 17 were studied in 1192 young Australians from the Raine Study Gen2. Results: There was no evidence for a relationship between the parent‐reported sleep trajectories and epigenetic age acceleration ( p ≥ 0.17). There was a positive cross‐sectional relationship between self‐reported sleep problem score and intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration at age 17 ( b = 0.14, p = 0.04), which was attenuated after controlling for depressive symptom score at the same age ( b = 0.08, p = 0.34). Follow‐up analyses suggested this finding may represent greater overtiredness and intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration in adolescents with higher depressive symptoms. Conclusion: There was no evidence for a relationship between self‐ or parent‐reported sleep health and epigenetic age acceleration in late adolescence after adjusting for depressive symptoms. Mental health should be considered as a potential confounding variable in future research on sleep and epigenetic age acceleration, particularly if subjective measures of sleep are used.