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Sociodemographic correlates and family aggregation of leukocyte telomere length in adults and children from Mesoamerica
Author(s) -
Flannagan Kerry S.,
Jansen Erica C.,
Rozek Laura S.,
Rentschler Katie M.,
Roman Ana Victoria,
RamirezZea Manuel,
Villamor Eduardo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.22942
Subject(s) - anthropometry , demography , medicine , intraclass correlation , telomere , cross sectional study , linear regression , mesoamerica , geography , biology , genetics , sociology , computer science , psychometrics , archaeology , dna , clinical psychology , pathology , machine learning
Objective Telomere length is a biomarker of cumulative stress and inflammation related to chronic disease risk. We examined the associations of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with sociodemographic and anthropometric variables and estimated LTL family aggregation in Central America, a region with a high burden of chronic disease where LTL has not been studied. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional study of 174 school age children and their parents in the capital cities of Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the city of Tuxtla‐Gutierrez in Mexico. We measured LTL by quantitative PCR in DNA extracted from whole blood. We compared the distribution of LTL by categories of sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics using linear regression. Family aggregation was estimated with correlation coefficients and intraclass correlations. Results In mothers, LTL was inversely associated with age ( P , trend < .0001) and positively associated with height ( P = .0002). Among fathers, LTL was inversely associated with food insecurity ( P , trend = .0004). In children, boys had 0.10 log units shorter LTL than girls (95% CI: −0.17, −0.03; P = .004). LTL was inversely associated with parental education ( P , trend = .01) and positively associated with paternal age at birth ( P , trend < .0001), maternal LTL ( P , trend = .007), and paternal LTL ( P , trend = .02). LTL varied significantly by country of origin among all family members. Aggregation was greatest between children and their mothers, and mostly occurred at the country, rather than family, level. Conclusion LTL is associated with age and height in women; food insecurity in men; and sex, parental education, parental LTL, and paternal age at birth among children.