How Community Violence Alters the Biological Clock
When we think about the toll of community violence, we usually focus on the immediate trauma or economic fallout. However, a new research project by Dr. Mónica Caudillo will evaluate an often hidden cost: how exposure to chronically violent environments may alter the biological aging process.
Supported by a grant from the Dr. Sonalde B. Desai Current-Use Research Fund and a Maryland Population Research Center (MPRC) seed grant, Dr. Caudillo’s project investigates "reproductive aging"—the gradual decline of reproductive organs that dictates a person’s biological window for childbearing.
"Depending on exposure to community violence, we hypothesize that certain reproductive transitions, such as menarche and menopause, can be accelerated or delayed," Dr. Caudillo explains. "As a result, there could be a biological pathway linking lifetime exposure to violence and fertility outcomes."
Shifting the Fecundity Window
Dr. Caudillo’s research team will investigate whether chronic exposure to local violence leads to stress-induced shifts in the timing of reproductive aging markers, such as menarche, menopause, and infecundity. Her project will also look at how the stress of violence might change a person's biological timeline for having children—either by shortening or lengthening their childbearing years. Specifically, she wants to see if these changes make it harder for people to control when they get pregnant or prevent them from reaching their goals for having a family.
Currently, evidence on how stressors and trauma impact reproductive aging processes is mixed and often based on low quality data. Dr. Caudillo’s project aims to bring empirical clarity to the conversation, while integrating biodemographic perspectives into research on unintended pregnancy and unrealized fertility goals.
Mexico as a Research Laboratory
The one-year pilot project is turning its focus toward Mexico, which offers a unique methodological advantage for researchers. In the U.S., community violence is heavily concentrated in low-income neighborhoods, making it difficult to separate the physical toll of violence from other factors like residential segregation, concentrated poverty or even air quality and pollution.
"In Mexico, we can more easily isolate the contribution of violence relative to high-income countries where violence is closely intertwined with other dimensions of disadvantage," Dr. Caudillo notes. Because violence in Mexico can vary significantly across different times and regions—mostly due to changes in national policies and local elections—it provides a wealth of real-world data to study. This constant shifting makes it much easier for researchers to precisely measure how local violence directly affects a person's biological clock and family planning. It also allows us to more reliably assess whether violence is the actual cause of these changes.
Measuring "Weathering"
To map this impact, the study will combine geolinked Mexican survey data with local homicide rates. "It is much harder to hide a homicide than other types of violence," Dr. Caudillo points out, “making it one of the most reliable measures of local safety.”
Additionally, the project will analyze biomarker data from women aged 50 and older to measure allostatic load—the cumulative physiological "wear and tear" or "weathering" the body endures under chronic stress. This will help determine if biological weathering is a pathway linking neighborhood violence to the timing of reproductive aging markers, such as menopause.
Looking Ahead
Ultimately, this research directly connects to major international policy goals regarding reproductive autonomy—ensuring people have the power to both prevent unintended pregnancies and successfully achieve their desired family size. Following this initial one-year pilot, Dr. Caudillo plans to leverage her findings to secure a larger federal grant to expand the study into the United States.
