It's more than skin‐deep

The relationship between social victimization and telomere length in adolescence

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11106911
AutoresMaria Elizabeth Guarneri-White (0000-0001-9869-9769, University of Texas at Arlington Arlington Texas), Allyson A Arana (0000-0003-4365-4656, US Army Institute of Surgical Research San Antonio Texas), Erin Q Boyd (University of Texas at Arlington Arlington Texas), Lauri A Jensen‐campbell (0000-0002-1088-7413, University of Texas at Arlington Arlington Texas, autor de correspondencia)
Año2018
Volumen44
Número4
Páginas337-347
Fecha de publicación2018-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAggressive Behavior (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0096-140X • E-ISSN: 1098-2337
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ab.21755
PMID29484667
OpenAlexW2792474421
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas71

This study examined the relationship between peer victimization and telomere length (TL), an indicator of biological aging that is associated with stressors (Epel, 2009). It was predicted that social victimization would have a greater impact upon TL, as well as the frequency and severity of health complaints than physical victimization. Adolescents (M age = 15.91 years, SD age = 1.65) and their parents completed measures of peer victimization and physical health problems; adolescents also submitted a DNA sample for telomere analysis. Greater instances of being socially, but not physically, victimized were associated with shorter telomeres, as well as more frequent and severe health complaints. TL was also negatively related to both the frequency and severity of health problems, even after controlling for BMI, age, and sex of participant. The relationship between social victimization and health complaints via TL held only at higher levels of social victimization. These findings are the first to find an association between peer victimization and shortened telomeres

Biology · Developmental psychology · Environmental health · Injury prevention · Occupational safety and health · Peer victimization · Poison control · Stressor · Suicide prevention · Telomere · Clinical Psychology · Genetics · Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms · Medicine · Psychology · Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence