Neighborhood Disadvantage and Telomere Length: Results from the Fragile Families Study

• Main Authors: Douglas S. Massey, Brandon Wagner, Louis Donnelly, Sara McLanahan, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Irwin Garfinkel, Colter Mitchell, Daniel A. Notterman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Russell Sage Foundation 2018-04-01
• Series: RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences
• Subjects: telomere; segregation; neighborhood disadvantage; concentrated poverty
• Online Access: https://www.rsfjournal.org/doi/full/10.7758/RSF.2018.4.4.02

Telomeres are repetitive nucleotide sequences located at the ends of chromosomes that protect genetic material. We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to analyze the relationship between exposure to spatially concentrated disadvantage and telomere length for white and black mothers. We find that neighborhood disadvantage is associated with shorter telomere length for mothers of both races. This finding highlights a potential mechanism through which the unique spatially concentrated disadvantage faced by African Americans contributes to racial health disparities. We conclude that equalizing the health and socioeconomic status of black and white Americans will be very difficult without reducing levels of residential segregation in the United States.