Built environment, biological age and cognition in ALSPAC adolescents
In ALSPAC, childhood built-environment features showed no consistent association with epigenetic or brain age in adolescence; a negative cognition link appeared only in Generation R. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
Urban features have been linked to poor psychiatric health in adulthood, but little is known about biological age and cognition earlier in life. [1]
In ALSPAC, the built environment was not associated with epigenetic ages or brain age. [1]
A negative association with cognition was observed in Generation R, and the authors suggest these relationships may emerge in later life. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Observational longitudinal association study (abstract)
- Population / context
- Adolescents in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), with replication in Generation R and triangulation in the Millennium Cohort Study.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Publication status
- Preprint · peer-review status not confirmed
- Original publication
- October 11, 2026
ALSPAC tests urbanicity against three biological age measures
The authors note that urban features have been linked to poor psychiatric health in adulthood, but little is known about biological age and cognition earlier in life. Using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), they tested associations between the built environment and three epigenetic ages (EpiAge Altum, Horvath and PACE; n=2,452), brain age (n=751) and cognition (n=12,199). These are observational association analyses, not tests of cause.
Supporting source [1]
No association with epigenetic or brain age in ALSPAC
The built environment was not associated with epigenetic ages: effect estimates for Altum ranged 0.013–0.015 (p .466–.689), for Horvath −0.011–0.023 (p .182–.728) and for PACE −0.045–0.013 (p .131–.524). Brain age also showed no association (estimates 0.022–0.028, p .337–.429). The authors conclude there is no consistent evidence that childhood built-environment exposure relates to biological age and cognition in adolescence.
Supporting source [1]
Replication in Generation R and Millennium Cohort
Analyses were replicated in Generation R and triangulated in the Millennium Cohort Study. A negative association with cognition was observed in Generation R. The authors suggest these relationships may emerge in later life. Because this is an abstract, the full text was not reviewed, and details of exposure measurement, follow-up and adjustment are not reported here.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. Exposure measurement, follow-up length, adjustment and replication details are not reported. Associations are not causal; the cognition finding appeared in Generation R only.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Sanders F, Baltramonaityte V, Staginnus M, Mulder RH, Muetzel RL, Vrijheid M, Dunn EC, Fisher HL, Cecil CA, Walton E. · europepmc.org · October 11, 2026