Longitudinal Associations between the Built Environment, Biological Aging and Cognition

The science

Original title

Longitudinal Associations between the Built Environment, Biological Aging and Cognition.

Authors

Sanders F, Baltramonaityte V, Staginnus M et al.

Journal

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences

Published

Oct 25, 2026

Study type

Study

PMID

42926958 ↗

DOI

10.64898/2026.10.08.26365061 ↗

Abstract

Features of urbanicity have been linked to poor psychiatric health in adulthood, but little is known about their relationship with biological age and cognition earlier in life. Using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we tested associations between the built environment and epigenetic ages (EpiAge Altum , EpiAge Horvath , EpiAge PACE ) (n=2,452), brain age (n=751), and cognition (n=12,199). Analyses were replicated in Generation R and triangulated in the Millennium Cohort Study. The built environment was not associated with epigenetic ages (β Altum range = 0.013-0.015, p range = .466-.689; β Horvath range = -0.011-0.023, p range = .182-.728; β PACE range = -0.045-0.013, p range = .131-.524) or brain age (β range = 0.022-0.028, p range = .337-.429). A negative association with cognition was observed in Generation R. We provide no consistent evidence that childhood built environment exposure relates to biological age and cognition in adolescence, suggesting these relationships may emerge in later life.

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