159. Socioeconomic factors and leukocyte telomere length in a sample of African American men

Abstract

Higher rates of morbidity and mortality and earlier onset of aging-related diseases among African American men compared to men of other race groups in the US emanate in part from lower socioeconomic status (SES) in this population. Studies on leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biomarker of cell aging, may yield insight into the biological pathways through which lower SES adversely impacts health among African American men. This study examined associations between measures of SES and LTL among 92 African American men 30–50 years of age. In multinomial logistic regression models predicting short, medium, and long tertiles of LTL, income ( p = 0.043) and subjective reports of financial strain ( p = 0.029) were significantly and independently associated with LTL. Lower income and greater financial strain were associated with greater probability of short compared to medium LTL. In addition, a significant interaction was found between employment and education ( p = 0.040), with lower education being associated with greater probability of short versus long LTL only among those not working ( p = 0.034). These results suggest that socioeconomic-related cellular aging may represent a mechanism leading to poorer health among African American men. Findings point to the importance of examining both objective and subjective measures of economic conditions, and to examine combinations of risk factors. The greater socioeconomic burden experienced by African Americans may contribute to racial disparities in health via effects on cellular aging.