MPH, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Medicine: Biostatistics

Background: DNA methylation age can be used to determine an individual's biological age. Theoretically, for healthy subjects, the biological age and chronological age move in tandem. Environmental exposures can accelerate biological age. Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of exposure to Elemental Carbon Attributable to Traffic (ECAT) on DNA methylation age in the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS) cohort. Materials and Methods: The data has been obtained from the CCAAPS cohort. The data comprises 136 children, who were followed from birth to 12 years of age. Methylation data has been obtained from blood samples at 12 years of age. ECAT was assessed longitudinal starting at birth using a Land Use Regression (LUR) model. Linear regression, logistic regression prediction, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation test, Wilcoxon test have been used to analyze the data. Results: The results of the gender interaction models indicate that biological age is significantly higher than the chronological age for females than for males for ECAT exposures at birth, 12 years, and the average of these consistently. Conclusion: Females are aging biologically significantly faster when exposed to ECAT.

Committee: Marepalli Rao Ph.D. (Committee Member); Charles Doarn MBA (Committee Member); Kelly Brunst Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biostatistics