Importance: Economic and racial inequality is linked to disparities in children's mental health. Biomarkers that reflect these social disparities are lacking. Objective: We examined the hypothesis that salivary DNA-methylation patterns of higher inflammation and faster pace of biological aging are economically, racially and ethnically stratified and are associated with child mental health. Design: The Texas Twin Project is an on-going, observational, longitudinal study that began in May 2012. Analyses were preregistered on May 7, 2021, and completed on August 23, 2021. Setting: The population-based study identified and recruited participants from public school rosters in the greater Austin area. Participants: Participants in the analytic data set included all participants that agreed to contribute DNA samples and whose samples were assayed by January 2021. Exposures: Family- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic inequality, racial and ethnic identities (White, Latinx, Black, Asian). Main Measure(s): Environmental exposures were analyzed in relation to salivary DNA-methylation profiles of higher inflammation (DNAm-CRP) and faster pace of biological aging (DunedinPoAm). Child internalizing problems, attention problems, aggression, rule-breaking, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder were measured using parent-reports and self-reports on abbreviated versions of the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist and Conners 3. The hypotheses being tested were formulated after data collection of the present data freeze and were pre-registered prior to analyses being conducted. Results: In a sample of N=1,183 8-to-19-year-olds (609 female, age M=13.38y), children's salivary DNA-methylation profiles and psychiatric symptoms differed by socioeconomic conditions, race and ethnicity. Children with more parent-reported internalizing symptoms had higher DNAm-CRP (r=0.15, 95% CI=0.05 to 0.25, P=0.004) and DunedinPoAm (r=0.15, CI=0.05 to 0.25, P=0.002), and children with more parent-reported aggression problems had higher DNAm-CRP (r=0.17, CI=0.04 to 0.31, P=0.013). DNAm-CRP partially mediated advantage of higher family socioeconomic status (16% of total effect) and White racial identity (12% of total effect) on reduced internalizing symptoms. DunedinPoAm also partially mediated advantage of White racial identity on internalizing (19% of total effect). Conclusions and Relevance: Socioeconomic and racial inequality are visible in children's epigenetic profiles of inflammation and the rate of biological aging in a manner that is tied to social disparities in mental health.

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社会分层的 DNA 甲基化谱与儿童和青少年心理健康的差异有关

重要性：经济和种族不平等与儿童心理健康的差异有关。缺乏反映这些社会差异的生物标志物。目的：我们检验了以下假设，即较高炎症和较快生物衰老速度的唾液 DNA 甲基化模式在经济、种族和民族上分层，并且与儿童心理健康相关。设计：德克萨斯双胞胎项目是一项持续的观察性纵向研究，于 2012 年 5 月开始。分析于 2021 年 5 月 7 日预先注册，并于 2021 年 8 月 23 日完成。设置：基于人群的研究确定并招募了参与者来自大奥斯汀地区的公立学校名册。参与者：分析数据集的参与者包括所有同意提供 DNA 样本并且其样本在 2021 年 1 月之前进行检测的参与者。 暴露：家庭和社区层面的社会经济不平等、种族和民族身份（白人、拉丁裔、黑人、亚洲人）。主要措施：分析环境暴露与较高炎症 (DNAm-CRP) 和更快生物老化速度 (DunedinPoAm) 的唾液 DNA 甲基化谱相关。儿童内化问题、注意力问题、攻击性、违反规则、多动症、对立违抗性障碍和品行障碍是使用父母报告和自我报告的缩略版 Achenbach 儿童行为检查表和 Conners 3 来衡量的。正在测试的假设是在当前数据冻结的数据收集之后制定的，并在进行分析之前预先注册。结果：在 N=1,183 名 8 至 19 岁儿童（609 名女性，年龄 M=13.38 岁）的样本中，儿童的唾液 DNA 甲基化谱和精神症状因社会经济条件、种族和民族而异。父母报告的内化症状较多的儿童具有较高的 DNAm-CRP（r=0.15，95% CI=0.05 至 0.25，P=0.004）和 DunedinPoAm（r=0.15，CI=0.05 至 0.25，P=0.002）和儿童父母报告的攻击性问题越多，DNAm-CRP 越高（r = 0.17，CI = 0.04 至 0.31，P = 0.013）。DNAm-CRP 部分介导了较高的家庭社会经济地位（占总效应的 16%）和白人种族认同（占总效应的 12%）对减少内化症状的优势。DunedinPoAm 还部分介导了白人种族认同的内化优势（占总效应的 19%）。结论和相关性：社会经济和种族不平等在儿童炎症的表观遗传谱和生物衰老率中可见，这与心理健康的社会差异有关。