Severe drought exposure in utero associates to children’s epigenetic age acceleration in a global climate change hot spot
Open accessAbstract
The goal of this study is to examine the association between in utero drought exposure and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in a global climate change hot spot. Calculations of EAA in adults using DNA methylation have been found to accurately predict chronic disease and longevity. However, fewer studies have examined EAA in children, and drought exposure in utero has not been investigated. Additionally, studies of EAA in low-income countries with diverse populations are rare. We assess EAA using epigenetic clocks and two DNAm-based pace-of-aging measurements from whole saliva samples in 104 drought-exposed children and 109 same-sex sibling controls in northern Kenya. We find a positive association between in utero drought exposure and EAA in two epigenetic clocks (Hannum’s and GrimAge) and a negative association in the DNAm based telomere length (DNAmTL) clock. The combined impact of drought’s multiple deleterious stressors may reduce overall life expectancy through accelerated epigenetic aging.
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Prenatal disaster exposure has been associated with accelerated epigenetic aging and shorter methylation-based telomeres, markers linked to increased chronic disease risk and immune decline.
“Prenatal disaster exposure has been associated with accelerated epigenetic aging and shorter methylation-based telomeres, markers linked to increased chronic disease risk and immune decline (24).”
From Epigenetic changes associated with multi-generational trauma: characterization, mechanisms, and therapeutics (2026) · cites this paper as [24]
The Discussion reports that severe drought exposure in utero was associated with accelerated epigenetic aging on two clocks and a lower DNA methylation–based telomere-length estimate in children. The Introduction links these markers to chronic disease and other adverse health outcomes. The paper does not establish an association with immune decline, and its finding concerns severe drought rather than prenatal disaster exposure generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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- Authors
- Qiao, X., Straight, B., Ngo, D., Hilton, C. E., Owuor Olungah, C., Naugle, A., Lalancette, C., & Needham, B. L.
- Affiliations
- Western Michigan University (US)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Straight, Bilinda
- Venue
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2024-05-16
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 4140-4140
- ISSN
- 2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11099019
- OpenAlex
- W4396958823
- Cited by
- 10
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3
- FWCI
- 1.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Greater South Information System
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1728743)
- Western Michigan University
- National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation
- Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (1728743)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Keywords
- epigenetic age acceleration, epigenetic clocks, DNA methylation, children, epigenetic aging, telomere length, Hannum clock, GrimAge clock, climate change, low-income countries, northern Kenya, life expectancy
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Kenya, Male, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Saliva, DNA Methylation, Epigenesis, Genetic, Droughts, Climate Change
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