This study examined struggles to establish autonomy and relatedness with peers in adolescence and early adulthood as predictors of advanced epigenetic aging assessed at age 30. Participants (N = 154; 67 male and 87 female) were observed repeatedly, along with close friends and romantic partners, from ages 13 through 29. Observed difficulty establishing close friendships characterized by mutual autonomy and relatedness from ages 13 to 18, an interview-assessed attachment state of mind lacking autonomy and valuing of attachment at 24, and self-reported difficulties in social integration across adolescence and adulthood were all linked to greater epigenetic age at 30, after accounting for chronological age, gender, race, and income. Analyses assessing the unique and combined effects of these factors, along with lifetime history of cigarette smoking, indicated that each of these factors, except for adult social integration, contributed uniquely to explaining epigenetic age acceleration. Results are interpreted as evidence that the adolescent preoccupation with peer relationships may be highly functional given the relevance of such relationships to long-term physical outcomes.

这项研究考察了青春期和成年早期与同龄人建立自主性和关联性的努力，作为 30 岁时评估的高级表观遗传衰老的预测因素。参与者 ( N= 154；67 名男性和 87 名女性）与 13 岁至 29 岁的亲密朋友和浪漫伴侣一起被反复观察。观察到，从 13 岁至 18 岁，很难建立以相互自主和相关性为特征的亲密友谊，这是一种经访谈评估的依恋心理状态。考虑到实际年龄、性别、种族和收入后，24岁时的自主性和对依恋的重视，以及自我报告的青春期和成年期社会融入困难都与30岁时更大的表观遗传年龄有关。评估这些因素的独特和综合影响以及终生吸烟史的分析表明，除了成人社会融入之外，这些因素中的每一个都对解释表观遗传年龄加速做出了独特的贡献。