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Child maltreatment and telomere length in middle and older age: retrospective cohort study of 141 748 UK Biobank participants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 March 2023

Ziyi Zhou
Affiliation:
School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
Camilla K. M. Lo
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Ko Ling Chan
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Rachel S. Y. Chung
Affiliation:
School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
Jill P. Pell
Affiliation:
School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
Helen Minnis
Affiliation:
School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
Paul G. Shiels
Affiliation:
Institute of Cancer Studies, University of Glasgow, UK
Patrick Ip
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Frederick K. Ho*
Affiliation:
School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
*
Correspondence: Frederick K. Ho. Email: frederick.ho@glasgow.ac.uk

Abstract

Background

There is evidence that child maltreatment is associated with shorter telomere length in early life.

Aims

This study aims to examine if child maltreatment is associated with telomere length in middle- and older-age adults.

Method

This was a retrospective cohort study of 141 748 UK Biobank participants aged 37–73 years at recruitment. Leukocyte telomere length was measured with quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and log-transformed and scaled to have unit standard deviation. Child maltreatment was recalled by participants. Linear regression was used to analyse the association.

Results

After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, participants with three or more types of maltreatment presented with the shortest telomere lengths (β = −0.05, 95% CI −0.07 to −0.03; P < 0.0001), followed by those with two types of maltreatment (β = −0.02, 95% CI −0.04 to 0.00; P = 0.02), referent to those who had none. When adjusted for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, the telomere lengths of participants with three or more types of maltreatment were still shorter (β = −0.04, 95% CI −0.07 to −0.02; P = 0.0008). The telomere lengths of those with one type of maltreatment were not significantly different from those who had none. When mutually adjusted, physical abuse (β = −0.05, 95% CI −0.07 to −0.03; P < 0.0001) and sexual abuse (β = −0.02, 95% CI −0.04 to 0.00; P = 0.02) were independently associated with shorter telomere length.

Conclusions

Our findings showed that child maltreatment is associated with shorter telomere length in middle- and older-aged adults, independent of sociodemographic and mental health factors.

Type
Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists

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