Progression Through Puberty in Girls Enrolled in a Contemporary British Cohort

Christensen, Krista Y.; Maisonet, Mildred; Rubin, Carol; Holmes, Adrianne; Flanders, W. Dana; Heron, Jon; Ness, Andrew; Drews-Botsch, Carolyn; Dominguez, Celia; McGeehin, Michael A.; Marcus, Michele

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.02.005

« Previous Next »Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 47, Issue 3 , Pages 282-289, September 2010

Progression Through Puberty in Girls Enrolled in a Contemporary British Cohort

Krista Y. Christensen, Ph.D.
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Address correspondence to: Krista Y. Christensen, Ph.D., Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322.
Mildred Maisonet, Ph.D.
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- National Center for Environmental health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Carol Rubin, D.V.M.
- National Center for Environmental health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Adrianne Holmes, M.P.H.
- National Center for Environmental health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
W. Dana Flanders, M.D., D.Sc.
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- National Center for Environmental health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Jon Heron, Ph.D.
- Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
Andrew Ness, Ph.D.
- Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
Carolyn Drews-Botsch, Ph.D.
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
Celia Dominguez, M.D.
- Hawaii Center for Reproductive Medicine, IVF Centers of Excellence, Honolulu, Hawaii
Michael A. McGeehin, Ph.D.
- National Center for Environmental health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Michele Marcus, M.P.H., Ph.D.
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- National Center for Environmental health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

Received 7 October 2009; accepted 2 February 2010. published online 21 April 2010.

Abstract

Purpose

Patterns of pubertal development reflect underlying endocrine function and exposures, and could affect future health outcomes. We used data from a longitudinal cohort to describe factors associated with breast and pubic hair stage and estimate average duration of puberty.

Methods

Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children were used to describe timing and duration of pubertal development in girls. Self-reported Tanner stage of breast and pubic hair and menarche status were collected from ages 8–14 through mailed questionnaires. Factors associated with breast and pubic hair stage were identified using ordinal probit models. Age at entry into breast and pubic hair stages, and duration of puberty were estimated using interval-censored parametric survival analysis.

Results

Among the 3,938 participants, being overweight or obese, of non-white race, being the firstborn, and younger maternal age at menarche were associated with more advanced breast and pubic hair stages. Having an overweight or obese mother was associated with more advanced breast stages. Time spent in breast stages 2 and 3 was longer (1.5 years) than time spent in pubic hair stages 2 and 3 (1 year). The average age at menarche was 12.9 (95% CI, 12.8–12.9) years, and average duration of puberty (time from initiation of puberty to menarche) was 2.7 years.

Conclusions

Girls in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children had a slightly longer duration of puberty compared to an earlier British cohort study. Various maternal and child characteristics were associated with breast and pubic hair stage, including both child and maternal body mass.

Keywords: Puberty, ALSPAC, probit