Research priorities for measuring biologic age: summary and future directions from the Research Centers Collaborative Network Workshop.

Biologic aging reflects the genetic, molecular, and cellular changes underlying the development of morbidity and mortality with advancing chronological age. As several potential mechanisms have been identified, there is a growing interest in developing robust measures of biologic age that can better reflect the underlying biology of aging and predict age-related outcomes. To support this endeavor, the Research Centers Collaborative Network (RCCN) conducted a workshop in January 2022 to discuss emerging concepts in the field and identify opportunities to move the science forward. This paper presents workshop proceedings and summarizes the identified research needs, priorities, and recommendations for measuring biologic age. The highest priorities identified were the need for more robust measures, longitudinal studies, multidisciplinary collaborations, and translational approaches.

Consequences of teenage childbearing on child health.

This paper uses national longitudinal data to analyze the effects of having a teen mother on child health outcomes from birth to young adulthood. We use an empirical strategy that relies on miscarriages to put bounds on the causal effects of teen childbearing. Results show that having a teen mother does not have negative health consequences for children. In addition, children of teen mothers report fewer diagnosed disorders and conditions requiring medical attention. The results suggest that policies focused on delaying teen childbearing will not improve child health outcomes.