Do Children Who Develop Faster Go on to Age Faster in Midlife?
J. Kathy Xie, Avshalom Caspi, Kathleen Mullan Harris, Allison E. Aiello, HonaLee Harrington, Renate Houts, Christopher Kositzke, Daniel W. Belsky, Laurel Raffington, Jay Belsky, Sandhya Ramrakha, Reremoana F. Theodore, Terrie E. Moffitt
Psychological Science · 2026 · Volume 37 · Issue 11
DOI: 10.1177/09567976261483545
Abstract
We quantified the association between rate of child development and pace of midlife aging in the Dunedin Study and the Add Health Study. Physical development was quantified in Dunedin participants ( N = 1,037; age 45) using a composite comprised of (1) birth weight for gestational age, (2) toddler weight gain, (3) timing of behavioral milestones, (4) adiposity-rebound age, (5) timing of adolescent growth spurt, and (6) tempo of adolescent growth spurt. Social development was quantified using the Vineland Social Maturity Scale. Multi-organ-system (cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, immune, dental, pulmonary) longitudinal biological aging was used as the adult outcome. Fast physical development in childhood was associated with faster midlife aging. This was replicated in Add Health ( N = 1,537; age range = 33–44 years), where girls who menstruated earlier had faster midlife aging. By contrast, faster social development in childhood was associated with slower midlife aging. Findings contribute initial empirical evidence characterizing the link between child-development rate and adult aging in humans.
Keywords
child development, aging, biological aging, life course, puberty
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