A study of factors influencing advanced puberty / 소아과

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the timing of puberty and the factors inducing advanced puberty in elemental school students of low grades. METHODS: The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade elemental students from the Goyang province were randomly selected, and their sexual maturation rate was assessed by physical examination. After obtaining an informed consent, a questionnaire was administered to the parents; eating habits, lifestyle, use of growth-inducing medication, and present illness of the students were evaluated to determine the factors that induced advanced puberty. The data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: We selected 170 children and the girlsboys sex ratio was 1.21. Two 9-year-old boys were in genital stage 2. Two (14.3%) 6-year-old girls, 6 (19.4%) 7-year-old girls, 15 (39.6%) 8-year-old girls, and 4 (57.1%) 9-year-old girls were in breast stage 2. The average pubertal timing predicted for girls was 9.11+/-1.86 years. The main factors influencing pubertal timing were obesity scale, frequency of eating fast food, and the use of growth-inducing medication. A high rating on the obesity scale and high frequency of eating fast food indicated advanced stage of puberty. Growth-inducing medication induced puberty through obesity. CONCLUSION: We proposed that predictive average pubertal timing in girls was 9.11+/-1.86 years, which was consistent with the previously reported findings from abroad. The significant influencing factors in advanced puberty were obesity scale and frequency of fast food.