scholarly journals Early Life Adversity and Pubertal Timing: Implications for Cardiometabolic Health

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria E Bleil ◽  
Susan J Spieker ◽  
Steven E Gregorich ◽  
Alexis S Thomas ◽  
Robert A Hiatt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Pubertal Timing ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Cardiometabolic Health ◽  
Age At Menarche ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Child Attachment ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
Hair Development

Abstract Objective  To identify early life adversity (ELA) risk factors for earlier pubertal timing, itself a risk factor for poor cardiometabolic health, and to determine whether such ELA-related risk may be mediated by pre-pubertal body mass index (BMI). Methods  Subjects included 426 female participants in a prospective birth cohort study, the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Survival analysis models were fit to examine ELA exposures, representing childhood socioeconomic status (SES), maternal sensitivity, mother–child attachment, and negative life events, along with child health indicators and covariates, in relation to pubertal timing outcomes, including age at menarche and ages at Tanner stage II for breast and pubic hair development. Results  Higher childhood SES emerged as an independent predictor of older age at menarche, showing each one standard deviation increase in childhood SES corresponded to a 1.3% increase in age at menarche (factor change = 1.013; 1.003–1.022; p < .01), but did not predict breast or pubic hair development (ps > .05). In mediation analyses, indirect (mediated) effects of mother–child attachment on the pubertal timing outcomes, via pre-pubertal BMI, were all statistically significant (ps < .05). Conclusions  Higher childhood SES predicted directly, and secure (vs. insecure) mother–child attachment predicted indirectly (via pre-pubertal BMI), later pubertal timing, suggesting these factors may protect girls from earlier pubertal development. By extension, clinical implications are that intervention strategies designed to lessen ELA- and pre-pubertal obesity-related risk may be effective in remediating life course pathways linking ELA, accelerated pubertal development, and cardiometabolic risk.

Infection and pubertal timing: a systematic review

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 636-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. McDonald ◽  
S. M. Eng ◽  
O. O. Dina ◽  
C. M. Schooling ◽  
M. B. Terry
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Adjustment ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Pubertal Timing ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Breast Development ◽  
Age At Menarche ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Hair Development

The decline in age of pubertal timing has serious public health implications ranging from psychosocial adjustment problems to a possible increase in reproductive cancers. One biologically plausible explanation for the decline is a decrease in exposures to infections. To systematically review studies that assess the role of infection in pubertal timing, Medline, Web of Science and EMBASE were systematically searched and retrieved studies were reviewed for eligibility. Eligible studies examined the association between infections, including microbial exposures, and physical pubertal characteristics (breast, genitalia and pubic hair development) or age at menarche. We excluded studies that were published in a language other than English, focused on precocious puberty, were case studies, and/or included youth with autoimmune diseases. We report on study design, population characteristics, measurement of infection and puberty and the main effects of infection on pubertal development. Based on our search terms we identified 1372 unique articles, of which only 15 human and five animal studies met our eligibility criteria. Not all studies examined all outcomes. Infection was associated with later breast development (4/4 human studies), with less consistent evidence for genitalia and pubic hair development. Seven studies assessed age at menarche with inconsistent findings (three supporting later, four no association). We conclude that a small but consistent literature supports that infection is associated with later breast development; the evidence for other pubertal events and age at menarche is less clear. Where fewer childhood infections coincide with the rise in incidence of hormone-related cancers.

scholarly journals Earlier age at menarche as a transdiagnostic mechanism linking childhood trauma with multiple forms of psychopathology in adolescent girls

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 1090-1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie L. Colich ◽  
Jonathan M. Platt ◽  
Katherine M. Keyes ◽  
Jennifer A. Sumner ◽  
Nicholas B. Allen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Pubertal Timing ◽  
Adolescent Psychopathology ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Externalizing Disorders ◽  
Age At Menarche ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Early Maturation ◽  
Nationally Representative

AbstractBackgroundAlthough early life adversity (ELA) increases risk for psychopathology, mechanisms linking ELA with the onset of psychopathology remain poorly understood. Conceptual models have argued that ELA accelerates development. It is unknown whether all forms of ELA are associated with accelerated development or whether early maturation is a potential mechanism linking ELA with psychopathology. We examine whether two distinct dimensions of ELA – threat and deprivation – have differential associations with pubertal timing in girls, and evaluate whether accelerated pubertal timing is a mechanism linking ELA with the onset of adolescent psychopathology.MethodsData were drawn from a large, nationally representative sample of 4937 adolescent girls. Multiple forms of ELA characterized by threat and deprivation were assessed along with age at menarche (AAM) and the onset of DSM-IV fear, distress, externalizing, and eating disorders.ResultsGreater exposure to threat was associated with earlier AAM (B = −0.1, p = 0.001). Each 1-year increase in AAM was associated with reduced odds of fear, distress, and externalizing disorders post-menarche (ORs = 0.74–0.85). Earlier AAM significantly mediated the association between exposure to threat and post-menarche onset of distress (proportion mediated = 6.2%), fear (proportion mediated = 16.3%), and externalizing disorders (proportion mediated = 2.9%).ConclusionsAccelerated pubertal development in girls may be one transdiagnostic pathway through which threat-related experiences confer risk for the adolescent onset of mental disorders. Early pubertal maturation is a marker that could be used in both medical and mental health settings to identify trauma-exposed youth that are at risk for developing a mental disorder during adolescence in order to better target early interventions.

scholarly journals Pubertal Onset in Boys and Girls Is Influenced by Pubertal Timing of Both Parents

2016 ◽  
Vol 101 (7) ◽  
pp. 2667-2674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Wohlfahrt-Veje ◽  
Annette Mouritsen ◽  
Casper P. Hagen ◽  
Jeanette Tinggaard ◽  
Mikkel Grunnet Mieritz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pubertal Timing ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Age At Onset ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Pubertal Onset ◽  
Hair Development ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Age Of Menarche ◽  
Menarche Age

Context: Epidemiological evidence on maternal and paternal heritability of the wide normal variation within pubertal timing is sparse. Objective: We aimed to estimate the impact of parental pubertal timing on the onset of puberty in boys and girls. Design: Annual pubertal examinations of healthy children in a longitudinal cohort study. Information on parental timing of puberty (earlier, comparable to, or later compared to peers) and menarche age was retrieved from questionnaires. Participants: A total of 672 girls and 846 boys. Main Outcome Measures: Age at onset of pubic hair (PH2+), breasts (B2+), and menarche in girls; and PH2+, genital stage (G2+), and testis >3 mL with orchidometer (Tvol3+) in boys. Results: In boys, pubertal onset was significantly associated with pubertal timing of both parents. PH2+ and Tvol3+ were earlier: −11.8 months (95% confidence interval, −16.8, −6.8)/−8.9 (−12.8, −4.9), and −9.5 (−13.9, −5.1)/−7.1 (−10.4, −3.7) if the father/mother, respectively, had early pubertal development compared to late. In girls, menarche was significantly associated with both parents' pubertal timing: −10.5 months (−15.9, −5.1)/−10.1 (−14.3, −6.0) if father/mother had early pubertal development compared to late. For the onset of PH2+ and B2+ in girls, estimates were −7.0 months (−12.6, −1.4) and −4.1 (−10.6, +2.4)/−6.7 (−11.0, −2.5), and −6.7 (−11.0, −2.0) for fathers/mothers, respectively. Maternal age of menarche was significantly associated with the onset of all pubertal milestones except PH2+ in girls. Conclusions: Maternal as well as paternal pubertal timing was a strong determinant of age at pubertal onset in both girls and boys. Age at breast and pubic hair development in girls, which has declined most during recent years, seemed to be least dependent on heritability.

scholarly journals Pubertal development and risk of premenstrual disorders in young adulthood

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donghao Lu ◽  
Jurate Aleknaviciute ◽  
Ragnar Bjarnason ◽  
Rulla M Tamimi ◽  
Unnur A Valdimarsdóttir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adulthood ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Pubertal Timing ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Premenstrual Symptom ◽  
Age At Menarche ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Premenstrual Symptoms ◽  
Timing Of Menarche

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Is pubertal timing associated with risk of premenstrual disorders (PMDs) in young adulthood? SUMMARY ANSWER Late pubertal development is associated with decreased premenstrual symptom burden and risk of PMDs in young adulthood. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY PMDs, including premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, may begin during the teenage years. Few risk factors in early life have been identified for PMD development. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A prospective cohort study of 6495 female participants during 1996–2013. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS We included participants from the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS). Pubertal development was indicated by the timing of menarche, breast and pubic hair growth. Self-reported age at menarche was longitudinally assessed at enrollment (in 1996/2004 for GUTS I/II) and onwards, and classified as early (age ≤ mean − SD, 11.64 years), normative and late menarche (age ≥ mean + SD, 13.95 years). Timing of pubic hair and breast growth were assessed multiple times during follow-up via Tanner scales, and classified into early, normative and late development according to mean ± SD. Using a validated questionnaire based on the Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences, we assessed premenstrual symptoms and identified probable cases of PMDs in 2013. We examined the associations of timing of pubertal development with premenstrual symptom score and disorders using multivariable linear and logistic regressions, respectively. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE In 2013 (mean age = 26), 1001 (15.4%) individuals met criteria for a PMD. An inverse association was found between age at menarche and premenstrual symptom z-score (β −0.05 per year, 95% CI −0.07 to −0.03) and risk of PMDs (odds ratio (OR) 0.93 per year, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.99). Compared to individuals with normative menarche, individuals with late menarche had a lower risk of PMDs (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.91), while individuals with early menarche had comparable odds (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.18). Moreover, early growth of pubic hair was associated with increased premenstrual symptoms (z-score β 0.09 per year, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.17) and PMD risk (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.56), independent of age at menarche. No associations were noted for breast development. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION One major limitation is some misclassification of menarche due to recall. We, however, showed robust association among participants who were premenarcheal at baseline. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our findings suggest that pubertal timing, particularly timing of menarche, is inversely associated with the risk of developing premenstrual symptoms in young adulthood, and that women with later menarche have significantly lower risk of PMDs. Information on PMDs should be provided to teenage girls and their parents. If these findings are confirmed in independent populations, prevention strategies and early detection programs may be considered for women with early pubertal development. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The work is supported by the National Institutes of Health and Swedish Research Council. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A

Comparing adolescent self staging of pubertal development with hormone biomarkers

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nana-Hawa Yayah Jones ◽  
Jane C. Khoury ◽  
Yingying Xu ◽  
Nicholas Newman ◽  
Heidi J. Kalkwarf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Least Squares ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Physical Examinations ◽  
Environment Study ◽  
Hair Development ◽  
Stage 1 ◽  
Self Examination

Abstract Objectives Physical examinations to characterize pubertal maturation may be unacceptable for children enrolled in research studies. Studies confirm the utility of pubertal self staging for research, but there has been limited comparison of self examination with hormone biomarkers. Our objective was to assess concordance of pubertal self staging with hormone biomarkers of puberty. Methods Participants were enrolled in the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment Study, a longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort study. At age 12 years, 139 females and 112 males completed pubertal self staging including breast and pubic hair development in females and pubic hair development in males. No clinical physical examination was performed. Hormone concentrations were measured in 102 females and 96 males including serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone in all; estradiol in females; and testosterone in males. Results Estradiol was significantly associated with female breast stage, even when adjusted for BMI, with geometric least squares means (95%CI) of 13.2 (8.7, 20.2), 38.3 (29.9, 49.1), 59.4 (39.8, 88.6), and 81.2 (45.6, 144) pg/mL for breast stage 1–2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Testosterone was significantly associated with male pubic hair stage, with adjusted geometric least squares means (95%CI) of 37.6 (19.9, 71.1), 43.4 (27.7, 68.3), 126 (78.4, 203), 275 (146, 521), and 559 (237, 1319) ng/dL for pubic hair stage 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Conclusions Self assessed pubertal development was positively associated with hormonal biomarkers of puberty.

scholarly journals Heritability of Testosterone Levels in 12-Year-Old Twins and Its Relation to Pubertal Development

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 558-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa A. Hoekstra ◽  
Meike Bartels ◽  
Dorret I. Boomsma
Keyword(s):  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Early Puberty ◽  
Salivary Testosterone ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Genital Development ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Hair Development

AbstractThe aim of this study was to estimate the heritability of variation in testosterone levels in 12-year-old children, and to explore the overlap in genetic and environmental influences on circulating testosterone levels and androgen-dependent pubertal development. Midday salivary testosterone samples were collected on 2 consecutive days in a sample of 183 unselected twin pairs. Androgen-induced pubertal development was assessed using self-report Tanner scales of pubic hair development (boys and girls) and genital development (boys). A significant contribution of genetic effects to the variance in testosterone levels was found. Heritability was approximately 50% in both boys and girls. The remaining proportion of the variance in testosterone levels could be explained by nonshared environmental influences. The relatively high correlation between testosterone levels of opposite-sex dizygotic twins suggests that sex differences in genes influencing variation in testosterone levels have not yet developed in preand early puberty. Variance in pubertal development was explained by a large genetic component, moderate shared environmental influences, and a small nonshared environmental effect. Testosterone levels correlated moderately (r = .31) with pubertal development; the covariance between testosterone levels and pubertal development was entirely accounted for by genetic influences.

scholarly journals Quality of early family relationships and the timing and tempo of puberty: Effects depend on biological sensitivity to context

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce J. Ellis ◽  
Elizabeth A. Shirtcliff ◽  
W. Thomas Boyce ◽  
Julianna Deardorff ◽  
Marilyn J. Essex
Keyword(s):  
Family Relationships ◽  
Pubertal Timing ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Hair Development ◽  
Pubertal Tempo ◽  
Biological Sensitivity To Context ◽  
Parent Child Relationships ◽  
Early Family ◽  
Parent Child

AbstractGuided by evolutionary–developmental theories of biological sensitivity to context and reproductive development, the current research examined the interactive effects of early family environments and psychobiologic reactivity to stress on the subsequent timing and tempo of puberty. As predicted by the theory, among children displaying heightened biological sensitivity to context (i.e., higher stress reactivity), higher quality parent–child relationships forecast slower initial pubertal tempo and later pubertal timing, whereas lower quality parent–child relationships forecast the opposite pattern. No such effects emerged among less context-sensitive children. Whereas sympathetic nervous system reactivity moderated the effects of parent–child relationships on both breast/genital and pubic hair development, adrenocortical activation only moderated the effect on pubic hair development. The current results build on previous research documenting what family contexts predict variation in pubertal timing by demonstrating for whom those contexts matter. In addition, the authors advance a new methodological approach for assessing pubertal tempo using piecewise growth curve analysis.

scholarly journals Dietary Intake of Selenium in Relation to Pubertal Development in Mexican Children

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Liu ◽  
Karen E. Peterson ◽  
Brisa N. Sánchez ◽  
Andrew D. Jones ◽  
Alejandra Cantoral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Pubertal Timing ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Pubic Hair ◽  
Specific Pattern ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mexican Children ◽  
Future Work

Alterations in pubertal timing have been associated with long-term health outcomes. While a few reports have shown that dietary intake of selenium is associated with fertility and testosterone levels in men, no human studies have considered the association between selenium and pubertal development in children. We examined the cross-sectional association of childhood dietary intake of selenium with pubertal development among 274 girls and 245 boys aged 10–18 years in Mexico City. Multiple logistic and ordinal regression models were used to capture the association between energy-adjusted selenium intake (below Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) vs. above RDA) and stages of sexual maturity in children, adjusted for covariates. We found that boys with consumption of selenium below the RDA had lower odds of a higher stage for pubic hair growth (odds ratio (OR) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.27–0.97) and genital development (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.28–0.99) as well as a lower probability of having matured testicular volume (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15–0.88) compared with boys who had adequate daily dietary intake of selenium (above RDA). No associations were found in girls. According to our results, it is possible that inadequate consumption of selenium may be associated with later pubertal development in boys, suggesting a sex-specific pattern. Future work with a larger sample size and measures of selenium biomarkers is needed to confirm our findings and improve understanding of the role of this mineral in children’s sexual development.

scholarly journals Targeting Parenting Quality to Reduce Early Life Adversity Impacts on Lifespan Cardiometabolic Risk

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria E. Bleil ◽  
Susan J. Spieker ◽  
Cathryn Booth-LaForce
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Cardiometabolic Risk ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Cardiometabolic Disease ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cardiometabolic Health ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Parenting Quality ◽  
Family Based

Mounting evidence that early life adversity (ELA) exposures confer risk for cardiometabolic disease over the lifespan motivated this narrative review to examine parenting quality as a potential intervention target to reduce ELA exposures or mitigate their impact as a way of reducing or preventing cardiometabolic disease. We describe findings from the limited number of family-based intervention studies in ELA-exposed children that have tested parenting impacts on cardiometabolic health outcomes. We then describe the implications of this work and make recommendations for future research that will move this field forward.

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