PEDIATRICS Vol. 110 No. 5 November 2002, pp. 911-919
National Estimates of the Timing of Sexual Maturation and Racial Differences Among US Children
* The Lifespan Health Research Center Departments of Community Health, Pediatrics, and Mathematics and Statistics, Wright State University, School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio
Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
|| Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
--> Objective. To provide clinically meaningful, normative reference data that describe the timing of sexual maturity indicators among a national sample of US children and to determine the degree of racial/ethnic differences in these estimates for each maturity indicator.
Methods. Tanner staging assessment of sexual maturity indicators was recorded from 4263 non-Hispanic white, black, and Mexican American girls and boys aged 8.00 to 19.00 years as part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted between 1988 and 1994. NHANES III followed a complex, stratified, multistage probability cluster design. SUDAAN was used to calculate the mean age and standard error for each maturity stage and the proportion of entry into a maturity stage and to incorporate the sampling weight and design effects of the NHANES III complex sampling design. Probit analysis and median age at entry into a maturity stage and its fiducial limits were calculated using SAS 8.2.
Results. Reference data for age at entry for maturity stages are presented in tabular and graphical format. Non-Hispanic black girls had an earlier sexual development for pubic hair and breast development either by median age at entry for a stage or for the mean age for a stage than Mexican American or non-Hispanic white girls. There were few to no significant differences between the Mexican American and non-Hispanic white girls. Non-Hispanic black boys also had earlier median and mean ages for sexual maturity stages than the non-Hispanic white and Mexican American boys.
Conclusion. Non-Hispanic black girls and boys mature early, but US children completed their sexual development at approximately the same ages. The present reference data for the timing of sexual maturation are recommended for the interpretation of assessments of sexual maturity in US children.
Key Words: sexual maturity • Tanner stages • age at onset • secondary sex characteristics • race
Abbreviations: NHES, National Health Examination Survey • HHANES, Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey • NHANES III, Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Received for publication Nov 9, 2001; Accepted Mar 18, 2002.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  R. L. Rosenfield, R. B. Lipton, and M. L. Drum Thelarche, Pubarche, and Menarche Attainment in Children With Normal and Elevated Body Mass Index Pediatrics, January 1, 2009; 123(1): 84 - 88. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Casazza, P. B. Higgins, J. R. Fernandez, M. I. Goran, and B. A. Gower Longitudinal Analysis of the Insulin-Like Growth Factor System in African-American and European American Children and Adolescents J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2008; 93(12): 4917 - 4923. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Dunbar, J. Sheeder, D. Lezotte, D. Dabelea, and C. Stevens-Simon Age at Menarche and First Pregnancy Among Psychosocially At-Risk Adolescents Am J Public Health, October 1, 2008; 98(10): 1822 - 1824. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. K. Danielson, M. L. Drum, and R. B. Lipton Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin and Testosterone in Individuals With Childhood Diabetes Diabetes Care, June 1, 2008; 31(6): 1207 - 1213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J.-C. Carel and J. Leger Precocious Puberty N. Engl. J. Med., May 29, 2008; 358(22): 2366 - 2377. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Windle, L. P. Spear, A. J. Fuligni, A. Angold, J. D. Brown, D. Pine, G. T. Smith, J. Giedd, and R. E. Dahl Transitions Into Underage and Problem Drinking: Developmental Processes and Mechanisms Between 10 and 15 Years of Age Pediatrics, April 1, 2008; 121(Supplement_4): S273 - S289. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. D. Holland and T. A. Glauser Response to carbamazepine in children with newly diagnosed partial onset epilepsy Neurology, August 7, 2007; 69(6): 596 - 599. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. L. Hayman, J. C. Meininger, S. R. Daniels, B. W. McCrindle, L. Helden, J. Ross, B. A. Dennison, J. Steinberger, and C. L. Williams Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Nursing Practice: Focus on Children and Youth: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Committee on Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, and Obesity in Youth of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, Council on Cardiovascular Nursing, Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, and Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism Circulation, July 17, 2007; 116(3): 344 - 357. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Braun, C. Palacios, K. Wigertz, L. A Jackman, R. J Bryant, L. D McCabe, B. R Martin, G. P McCabe, M. Peacock, and C. M Weaver Racial differences in skeletal calcium retention in adolescent girls with varied controlled calcium intakes Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2007; 85(6): 1657 - 1663. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. H. Barnett, J. Heron, S. M. Ring, J. Golding, D. Goldman, K. Xu, and P. B. Jones Gender-Specific Effects of the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val108/158Met Polymorphism on Cognitive Function in Children Am J Psychiatry, January 1, 2007; 164(1): 142 - 149. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. R. Forman Changes in Dietary Fat and Fiber and Serum Hormone Concentrations: Nutritional Strategies for Breast Cancer Prevention over the Life Course J. Nutr., January 1, 2007; 137(1): 170S - 174S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Adolescence, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist, and Committee on Adolescent Health Care Menstruation in Girls and Adolescents: Using the Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign Pediatrics, November 1, 2006; 118(5): 2245 - 2250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Aksglaede, A. Juul, H. Leffers, N. E. Skakkebaek, and A.-M. Andersson The sensitivity of the child to sex steroids: possible impact of exogenous estrogens Hum. Reprod. Update, July 1, 2006; 12(4): 341 - 349. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. T. Loder, T. Starnes, G. Dikos, and D. D. Aronsson Demographic Predictors of Severity of Stable Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphyses J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., January 1, 2006; 88(1): 97 - 105. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. V. Marcell, K. Plowden, and S. M. Bowman Exploring older adolescents' and young adults' attitudes regarding male hormonal contraception: applications for clinical practice Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2005; 20(11): 3078 - 3084. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. L. Rayner, R. R. Enoch, and S. E. Fenton Adverse Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Atrazine During a Critical Period of Mammary Gland Growth Toxicol. Sci., September 1, 2005; 87(1): 255 - 266. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Saha, G. J. Eckert, J. H. Pratt, and R. R. Shankar Onset of Overweight during Childhood and Adolescence in Relation to Race and Sex J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., May 1, 2005; 90(5): 2648 - 2652. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. R. Shankar, G. J. Eckert, C. Saha, W. Tu, and J. H. Pratt The Change in Blood Pressure during Pubertal Growth J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2005; 90(1): 163 - 167. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. E. Herman-Giddens, P. B. Kaplowitz, and R. Wasserman Navigating the Recent Articles on Girls' Puberty in Pediatrics: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go from Here? Pediatrics, April 1, 2004; 113(4): 911 - 917. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. M. Plant and M. L. Barker-Gibb Neurobiological mechanisms of puberty in higher primates Hum. Reprod. Update, January 1, 2004; 10(1): 67 - 77. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Papadimitriou, S. S. Sun, C. M. Schubert, Wm. C. Chumlea, A. F. Roche, H. E. Kulin, P. A. Lee, J. H. Himes, and A. S. Ryan Timing of Sexual Maturation Pediatrics, January 1, 2004; 113(1): 177 - 178. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A.-S. Parent, G. Teilmann, A. Juul, N. E. Skakkebaek, J. Toppari, and J.-P. Bourguignon The Timing of Normal Puberty and the Age Limits of Sexual Precocity: Variations around the World, Secular Trends, and Changes after Migration Endocr. Rev., October 1, 2003; 24(5): 668 - 693. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Cook, M. Weitzman, P. Auinger, M. Nguyen, and W. H. Dietz Prevalence of a Metabolic Syndrome Phenotype in Adolescents: Findings From the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994 Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, August 1, 2003; 157(8): 821 - 827. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Timing of Sexual Maturation in U.S. Children Journal Watch Women's Health, January 22, 2003; 2003(122): 9 - 9. [Full Text]
|
|
