ABSTRACT
Objective@#To explore the association between the content and distribution of body fat and early puberty among children and adolescents, and to provide a basis for the study of the mechanism of early puberty.@*Methods@#The questionnaire survey and physical examination were conducted among the students from 2 primary schools with girlsof 3 rd-4 th grade and boys of 4 th-5 th grade and boys and girls in 7 th-8 th grade from 2 middle schools with by purposive sampling in Beijing in early January 2016. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the general information of samples. Logistic regression analyses were used to test the effects of body composition on the early puberty.@*Results@#A total of 1 527 students were included, of which 177 were early puberty and the prevalence of early puberty was 11.6%. The prevalence was 12.2% for girls and 11.0% for boys. The average value of the three skinfold thicknesses of the participants was 15.2±4.8 mm (triceps skinfold), 13.4±6.3 mm (subscapular skinfold), 14.6±6.6 mm (suprailiac skinfold), the average value of the body fat was 22.2 ± 6.2 kg, and the average value of the total fat weight was 11.2 ± 6.2 kg. After adjusting for age, single-child, family economic level and parental education level, multivariate logistic regression showed that girls with high triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold and suprailiac skinfold were more likely to be early puberty (for triceps skinfold: OR=2.03, 95%CI=1.26-3.27; for subscapular skinfold: OR=2.14, 95%CI=1.32-3.46; for suprailiac skinfold: OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.26-3.31). Body fat content and total fat weight were also the risk factor of early puberty in girls (for body fat content: OR=1.88, 95%CI=1.17-3.02; for total fat weight: OR=2.08, 95%CI=1.31-3.32). For boys, only high subscapular skinfold increased the risk of early puberty(OR=1.90, 95%CI=1.16-3.10).@*Conclusion@#Body fat content and body fat distribution were positive associated with early puberty in children and adolescents, and there are significant gender differences.