Associations between adverse childhood experiences with early puberty timing and possible gender difference
10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-6450.2015.04.004
- VernacularTitle:童年期不良经历与青春发动时相提前的关联及其性别差异的研究
- Author:
Yang LIU
1
,
2
;
Ying SUN
;
Fangbiao TAO
;
Shilu TONG
Author Information
1. 230032合肥,安徽医科大学公共卫生学院儿少卫生与妇幼保健学系
2. 安徽人口健康与优生省级实验室
- Keywords:
Early puberty timing;
Adverse childhood experiences;
Children;
Gender difference
- From:Chinese Journal of Epidemiology
2015;36(4):314-317
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To explore the association of adverse childhood events with early puberty timing and possible gender differences.Methods Data was gathered through questionnaires,physical and secondary sexual characteristics,examination with breast stage in girls and testicular volume in boys measured under informed consent among children in grade 3 to grade 5 from a largescale primary school.Information regarding adverse childhood experiences (ACEs),time of screening and physical activity was included in the questionnaire.Age limits on secondary sexual characteristics for defining early puberty established under the "China Puberty Research Collaboration Project" were used to classify early puberty timing.Body mass index was calculated and used to classify both overweight and obesity,in each gender.Results Among the 1 744 children aged 8.2-12.2 years old (957 boys),the prevalence rates of early puberty timing among boys and girls were 7.5％ and 14.6％,respectively,with gender differences (x2＝ 11.671,P＜ 0.001).Boys who reported having experienced serious adverse family events and girls with physical abuse were more likely to develop early puberty.Results from multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that family life events were associated with a higher risk of early puberty timing in boys (odds ratio:2.531,95％ CI:1.276-5.020) while experience related to physical abuse appeared a risk factor of early puberty timing in girls (odds ratio:2.453,95％CI:1.588-3.788).Conclusion Physical abuse and adverse family life events seemed to be associated with early puberty timing,suggesting further longitudinal study should be carried out to understand the nature of these findings and gender differences.
