Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Aug 6;10(8):e0134656.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134656. eCollection 2015.

Association of Obesity with Onset of Puberty and Sex Hormones in Chinese Girls: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study

Lingling Zhai  1 , Jihong Liu  2 , Jian Zhao  3 , Junxiu Liu  2 , Yinglong Bai  1 , Lihong Jia  1 , Xingjia Yao  1
Affiliations

Association of Obesity with Onset of Puberty and Sex Hormones in Chinese Girls: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study

Lingling Zhai et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Objective: To examine the influence of childhood obesity on the early onset of puberty and sex hormones in girls.

Methods: Healthy girls with different percentages of body fat at baseline (40 obese, 40 normal, and 40 lean) were recruited from three elementary schools in Shenyang, China. These girls (mean age 8.5 years) were also matched by height, school grade, Tanner stage, and family economic status at baseline. Anthropometry, puberty characteristics, and sex hormone concentrations were measured at baseline and at each follow-up visit. The generalized estimating equation model and analysis of variance for repeated measures using a generalized linear model were used to determine the differences in puberty characteristics and sex hormones among three groups.

Results: Over 4 years, mean age of breast II onset was earlier among obese girls (8.8 years) than normal girls (9.2 years) and lean girls (9.3 years). The prevalence (%) of early-maturation in the obese, normal, and lean groups was 25.9%, 11.1%, and 7.4%, respectively. Obesity was associated with an increased risk for breast stage II (year 2: RR, 6.3; 95% CI, 1.9-21.1 and year 3: RR, 6.9; 95% CI, 0.8-60.1). None of the girls experienced menarche in the first year; however, by the fourth year 50.0% of obese girls had menarche onset, which was higher than normal weight (27.5%) and lean girls (8.1%). The mean estradiol level increased with age in the obese, normal, and lean groups. The mean estradiol concentration was higher in obese girls than in normal and lean girls throughout the 4-year period (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Childhood obesity contributes to early onset of puberty and elevated levels of estradiol in girls.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Changes in estradiol levels in girls in the 4 years.
a: The trend level of estradiol in obese girls was significantly higher than that in normal weight girls (P = 0.043). b: The trend level of estradiol in obese girls was significantly higher than that in lean girls (P = 0.003).
Fig 2
Fig 2. Changes in testosterone levels in girls in the 4 years.
a: The testosterone level in obese girls was significantly higher than that in the normal girls (P = 0.04).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Wyshak G, Frisch RE. Evidence for a secular trend in age of menarche. N Engl J Med. 1982; 306(17): 1033–1035. - PubMed
    1. Burt Solorzano CM, McCartney CR. Obesity and the pubertal transition in girls and boys. Reproduction. 2010; 140(3): 399–410. 10.1530/REP-10-0119 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Euling SY, Herman-Giddens ME, Lee PA, Selevan SG, Juul A, SØrensen TI, et al. Examination of US puberty-timing data from 1940 to 1994 for secular trends: panel findings. Pediatrics. 2008; 121 Suppl 3: S172–191. 10.1542/peds.2007-1813D - DOI - PubMed
    1. Blumenthal H, Leen-Feldner EW, Trainor CD, Babson KA, Bunaciu L. Interactive roles of pubertal timing and peer relations in predicting socialanxiety symptoms among youth. J Adolesc Health. 2009; 44(4): 401–403. 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.08.023 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lakshman R, Forouhi N, Luben R, Bingham S, Khaw K, Waveham N, et al. Association between age at menarche and risk of diabetes in adults: results from the PIC-Norfolk cohort study. Diabetologia. 2008; 51(5): 781–786. 10.1007/s00125-008-0948-5 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types