Socioeconomic status (SES) correlates with adverse health outcomes, but the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. We examined how area-level deprivation (Townsend Deprivation Index) influences gut microbiome composition and function and whether the gut microbiome mediates the effects of deprivation on metabolic and mental health. A total of 1390 females from TwinsUK with shotgun metagenomes were included in this study. We found that higher Townsend deprivation was associated with reduced alpha diversity (Beta 95% CI = −1. 60 −3. 00, −0. 21) and distinct microbial composition shifts (PERMANOVA P = 0. 001). Twelve species and 22 functional pathways were linked to deprivation, distinguishing between deprivation groups (AUC = 0. 725–0. 744), with altered energy metabolism in deprived individuals. Townsend deprivation was associated with anxiety (OR 95%CI = 1. 09 1. 01, 1. 18) and diabetes (OR 95% CI = 1. 16 1. 03, 1. 30). Importantly, Intestinimonas massiliensis and Lawsonibacter spNSJ₅1 partially mediate the effect of anxiety. Lawsonibacter spNSJ₅1 also mediated the deprivation-diabetes association. These findings suggest that socioeconomic deprivation influences microbiome composition and function, mediating disparities in metabolic and mental health.
Lin et al. (2026) studied this question.