Losing Years Doing Time: Incarceration Exposure and Accelerated Biological Aging among African American Adults

Abstract

Research suggests that incarceration exposure increases the prevalence of morbidity and premature mortality. This work is only beginning to examine whether the stressors of the incarceration experience become biologically embedded in ways that affect physiological deterioration. Using data from a longitudinal sample of 410 African American adults in the Family and Community Health Study and an epigenetic index of aging, this study tests the extent to which incarceration accelerates epigenetic aging and whether experiences with violence moderate this association. Results from models that adjust for selection effects suggest that incarceration exposure predicted accelerated aging, leaving formerly incarcerated African American individuals biologically older than their calendar age. Direct experiences with violence also exacerbated the effects of incarceration. These findings suggest that incarceration possibly triggers a stress response that affects a biological signature of physiological deterioration.

Age and COVID-19 mortality in the United States: a comparison of the prison and general population

“…In fact, COVID-19 deaths of people aged 50–64 years in prison are almost double that of the general population of Texas. We hypothesize that this may be due to the accelerated aging of the prison population – people in prison have a higher number of, and earlier onset of, chronic health conditions and incarceration itself likely increases stress and thus speeds “epigenetic clocks” (Berg et al , 2021) – that may have made people more susceptible to COVID-19 complications. However, the contribution of comorbid conditions to COVID-19 fatality is complicated.…”

“…This phenomenon leads some scientists and activists to argue that people “age faster” in prison (Chammah, 2015). The characterization of incarceration as a social stressor that contributes to poor health is well documented, and recent research found that incarceration exposure significantly predicts accelerated epigenetic aging (an indicator of physiological deterioration) among African American adults, with differences in aging of approximately one year and 11 months for men and one year and seven months for women (Berg et al , 2021).…”

Toward Digital Precision Care: Large-scale Age and Gender Norms for Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Metrics from a Real-World Digital Mental Health Intervention

“…Moreover, mental and physical health conditions might confound or accelerate the trajectory of cardiac autonomic aging. Thus, large-scale studies from real-world treatment settings are needed to benchmark and differentiate the effects of "chronological aging" on HRVB from factors that may attenuate or accelerate "biological aging," such as gender, racial/ethnic disparities, mental health, body mass index, and comorbid conditions (Aschbacher et al, 2017;Berg et al, 2021;Fournié et al, 2021;Kemp et al, 2010;Mason et al, 2019).…”

Mass incarceration and cognitive impairment in older adults: Setting a research agenda

“…19 Fourth, mass incarceration disproportionately affects Black and Brown Americans. 35,36 Regarding healthy aging, research shows that among Black men, incarceration exposure is associated with accelerated aging. 35 Accordingly, if incarceration contributes to the advanced epigenetic aging of Black persons, 35,36 incarceration may also contribute to their cognitive aging, including the development of ADRD through the weathering process, 37 yet limited research examines this possibility.…”