ABSTRACT
Background : The significance of staging the sexual development becomes apparent on observing a group of adolescents of similar age but with great variability in size, shape and level of pubertal maturation. Objectives: To study the pattern of sexual maturation and anthropometry in adolescent males. Methods: The cross-sectional study was done in school having a total of 2347 male adolescents, out of which 390 students cooperated in the study. Probability proportionate to size sampling was used. Sexual Maturity Rating (SMR) was done by showing pictorial representation to the adolescents. The data obtained were tested statistically by percentages and Chi-square Test using SPSS version 10.0 for windows. Results: SMR-1 ranged from age 10 – 13 yrs, SMR-2 ranged from 10-16yrs, SMR-3 started from age 11yrs and ended gradually at 18yrs. Similarly SMR-4 started from 13 yrs and SMR-5 at 14 yrs. The mean weight and height increased from lower age groups to higher age groups within the same stage of sexual development. Within the same age group the mean weight as well as height also increased according to the current stage of sexual development. Conclusion: There is great variability in the timings of onset of puberty and the progression of the sexual maturity among the adolescents. The anthropometry indices for somatic growth in adolescent are influenced by both the chronological age and the sexual maturity of the adolescents. Thus calculating the anthropometric indices in adolescent according to the age alone will not be of much use as the somatic growth also depends on the sexual maturity of the adolescents.