Review articleThe Timing of Puberty: Is It Changing? Does It Matter?
Section snippets
U.S. puberty timing data
Puberty data for U.S. boys and girls have been collected from large national examination surveys over the past 40 years. However, rigorous comparisons between studies of pubertal timing are fraught with complicating factors. Studies have varied by design, population characteristics, ages of the children included, methods of pubertal assessment, and statistical analyses. This has led to difficulties and inconsistencies in adequately comparing trends over time. Additionally, Tanner staging is
Does the Timing of Puberty Really Matter?
In contemplating the public health significance of puberty shifting to an earlier age, there are two ways to think about the issue. The first is to consider whether pressures causing this change are of concern, and the second is to consider whether there are worrisome long-term consequences of earlier puberty.
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