PURPOSE: We evaluated the effect of potent aromatase inhibitor (Letrozole) on the rate of bone maturation and an increase in predicted adult height (PAH) in boys with early puberty. METHODS: Nine boys, aged 10.9-12.9 years, with early puberty were studied. The boys were treated with the aromatase inhibitor, letrozole, 2.5 mg/day for 1 year. The main outcome parameters were the change in bone age and predicted adult height. Also, serum LH, FSH, testosterone and estradiol concentrations were measured and sexual maturation before and after 12 months of treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: PAH significantly increased by 3.3 cm (P<0.05) and PAH standard deviation score significantly increased by 0.6 (P<0.05). Bone age before therapy advanced by 0.72+/-0.93 year, but bone age after therapy decreased by 0.07+/-0.90 year compared to chronological age (P<0.01). Whereas, sexual maturation of the subjects progressed normally. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that treatment with the potent aromatase inhibitor, letrozole, delays bone maturation and improves PAH in boys with early puberty.
Adolescent ; Adult* ; Aromatase* ; Estradiol ; Humans ; Puberty* ; Sexual Maturation ; Testosterone

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence maturity fears in elementary school girls. METHODS: The participants were 118 3rd and 4th grade students from 3 elementary schools in 3 cities in Korea. Data were collected using questionnaires which included measurement scales for the relative variables and demographic data. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchial regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 21.0. RESULTS: The significant predictors of maturity fears were weight, father-child communication, frequency of maturity communication with father, and close relation with mother. CONCLUSION: For effective management of maturity fears in elementary school girls, programs including weight control, functional communication with father and supportive nurturance of mother should be developed.
Fathers ; Female* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mothers ; Sexual Maturation* ; Weights and Measures

The age of puberty represents a very critical time in the life history of every young woman. The menarche stands as primary indicator of the onset of sexual maturation in females. According to several studies, menarcheal age in Korean girls has dropped from about 15 years of age in 1960s to 13.5 years of age in 1980s. This findings show a pronounced secular trend to earlier maturation. The purpose of this study is to determine (1) the average age at menarche in Korea in present time, (2) the secular trend of menarcheal age, and (3) the geographic regional influence on menarche. The data sampling was obtained from the physical examination cards of women students in Yonsei University who entered from 1983 to 1991. The data which was obtained from the number of 7761 was analysed by dBase III plus and SAS program. The results are as follows: 1) The mean menarcheal age of the subjects was 13.7+/-1.2 years. 2) Age at menarche has been getting earlier by some 7.4 months during the period of recent II years. 3) Comparing to the decreasing secular trend of menarcheal age, the height and weight showed increasing trend. 4) There were significant differences in menarcheal age, height, weight among geographic regions. We conclude that the results indicate an accelerating secular trend in age of menarche in Korea.
Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Menarche ; Physical Examination ; Puberty ; Sexual Maturation

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate sexual maturation, attitudes toward sexual maturity, and body esteem in the sexual development of Korean elementary-school boys and girls. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 399 fifth and sixth graders (192 boys and 207 girls). The data were analysed with a χ2 test, t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Among the 207 girls, 70.5% had pubic hair growth, 68.1% had breast development, and 56.0% had a menstrual period. In boys, 59.4% of the 192 subjects experienced the development of external genitalia and 52.6% had pubic hair growth. Sexual maturation was related to grade (boys, t=7.07, p=.008; girls, t=12.76, p < .001), age (t=−2.20, p=.030; t=−4.11, p < .001), height (t=−5.16, p < .001; t=−7.52, p < .001), and weight (t=−2.89, p=.004; t=−5.19, p < .001) in both boys and girls. Girls were more likely to have sexual maturity than boys (χ2=22.29, p < .001). Boys showed more positive attitudes toward sexual maturity (t=2.10, p=.036) and higher body esteem (t=2.12, p=.035) than girls. CONCLUSION: This study shows that sexual maturation, attitude toward sexual maturity, and body esteem in sexual development differ between boys and girls. The findings indicate that it is necessary to develop a tailored sex-education program according to the sex of elementary-school children.
Breast ; Child* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Genitalia ; Hair ; Humans ; Sexual Development ; Sexual Maturation*

Peak bone mass is established predominately during childhood and adolescence. It is an important determinant of future resistance to osteoporosis and fractures to gain bone mass during growth. The issue of low bone density in children and adolescents has recently attracted much attention and the use of pediatric dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is increasing. The process of interpretation of pediatric DXA results is different from that of adults because normal bone mineral density (BMD) of children varies by age, body size, pubertal stage, skeletal maturation, sex, and ethnicity. Thus, an appropriate normal BMD Z-score reference value with Z-score should be used to detect and manage low BMD. Z-scores below -2.0 are generally considered a low BMD to pediatrician even though diagnoses of osteoporosis in children and adolescents are usually only made in the presence of at least one fragility fracture.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Body Size ; Bone Density ; Child ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Reference Values ; Sexual Maturation

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the timing of sexual maturation and secular trends of menarchial age in Korean adolescents. METHODS: Nine hundred eighty two school students and 119 university female students were included. Tanner's pubertal assessment method was applied using a self-assessment sheet with pictures for their developmental stages. A medical checkup database from 1,156,022 women was also used to analyze the age of menarche from the year 1900 to 1980. RESULTS: Onset of puberty was at 11.3+/-1.3 years(y) in girls and 12.1+/-1.5 y in boys and total pubertal duration was 3.6 y in girls and 3.3 y in boys. Height at the onset of puberty was 146.1+/-7.9 cm in girls and 152.7+/-9.8 cm in boys. Weight at the onset of puberty was 39.3+/-6.9 kg in girls and 47.7+/-14.4 kg in boys. The mean age of menarche was 12.0+/-1.0 y and mean age at nocturnal emission was 12.3+/-1.8 y. By age ten, 3.0 percent of girls experienced menarche, which increased to 41.1 percent by age 12, and 98.0 percent by age over 15. By SMR 2 breast stage, 18.2 percent of girls experienced menarche, which increased to 66.1 percent and 91.7 percent by SMR stages 3 and 4, respectively. By SMR 2 pubic hair stage, 52.0 percent and by SMR 3, 93.8 percent of girls experienced menarche. While the menarchial age of women born around 1980 was 12.4+/-1.1 y, the menarchial age of women born around 1990 was 12.0+/-1.1 y. Age at menarche has been advanced approximately by 2 years between 1900 and 1980 birth cohorts. CONCLUSION: There was a downward secular trend in pubertal timing. Age at menarche has been advanced by 2 years during the last 80 years. Further large scale, prospective studies, including inspection by specialists, are needed to provide reference data for pubertal timing in Korean adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Breast ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Menarche ; Parturition ; Puberty ; Self-Assessment ; Sexual Maturation* ; Specialization

Adolescence is the period in which physical, mental and social maturation occurs and it is an important transit stage, changing from childhood to adulthood. This is a period in which important changes occur physically such as rapid growth in height and weight gain but significant differences in growth may occur for the same age. Therfore, the degree of sexual maturation may be an important indicator in evaluating growth in adolescence. Six thousand five hundred and eighty six male and female students from grade 4 to senior high from Seoul, district town and countryside were evaluated for sexual maturity using Tanner staging, weight, height and body mass index and compared for growth. There was a rapid growth in height of 6.7cm in boys between the ages of 11 and 14 years and 6.3 cm in height for girls between the ages of 10 and 12 years, showing earlier growth in height for girls. Growth in height according to sexual maturation showed the greatest growth during stages 2~3 for boys and girls. Boys grew an average of 18.94 cm and girls an average of 18.03 cm in height during the whole sexual maturation period. There was an increase of 5.5 kg in weight for boys during the same age as for growth in height, that is between 11 and 14 years of age. In girls, an average weight gain of 5.1 kg occurred between 11 and 13 years of age, slightly later than that of growth in height. Rapid gain in weight occurred during Tanner stages 2~3 for girls. Total gain of 20.70 kg for boys occurred during the whole sexual maturation period while girls gained total 19.73 kg. Body mass index increased gradually during the whole adolescent period. It was greater in boys during the ages of 9 and 12 years and greater in girls the age of 13 years and again in boys after 17 years of age. During the whole maturation period, boys gained 3.24 and girls, 4.05 of body mass index showing more gain in girls. Height, weight and body mass index showed normal variations during the sexual maturation index showed normal variations during the sexual maturation period and the results may bring an increased understanding that adolescent physical growth was closely related to sexual maturation.
Adolescent* ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Seoul ; Sexual Maturation* ; Weight Gain

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Early pubertal timing is associated with sleep among Western adolescents, but little is known about this association in Chinese adolescents, especially with regard to the association between bedtimes and early pubertal timing. This paper aimed to identify the association between sleep duration, bedtimes, and early pubertal timing in Chinese adolescents. METHODS: An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted among primary and junior middle students (grades 3 to 9) from QiJiang District, ChongQing, China. Participants were recruited by applying stratified cluster sampling. Pubertal timing, sleep duration, and bedtimes were assessed using the Pubertal Development Scale and a self-designed sleep questionnaire. We utilized multivariable logistic linear regression (MLLR) to test the association between sleep duration, bedtimes, and pubertal timing. RESULTS: A total of 5461 adolescents were evaluated, with mean age and BMI values of 11.41 ± 2.05 and 18.03 ± 3.03, respectively, of whom 1257 (23.02%) were in early pubertal timing. In MLLR controlling for age, BMI, family economic status, and other covariates, sufficient sleep (b = - 0.214, P = 0.032, OR = 0.808, 95% CI 0.664-0.982) was negatively related to early pubertal timing, and later bedtime (b = 0.195, P < 0.001, OR = 1.215, 95% CI 1.104-1.338) was positively associated with early pubertal timing. CONCLUSION Students with early pubertal timing had less sleep duration and later bedtimes, which may be the result of increased stress caused by physical and psychological changes. Therefore, more attention should be paid to pubertal health education for adolescents during puberty. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the causality between sleep and early pubertal timing in Chinese adolescents.
Adolescent ; China ; Circadian Rhythm ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Puberty ; Sexual Maturation ; Sleep

The associations between dietary, body composition and sexual maturation were investigated among Korean girls of pu-bertal age in this study. Dietary intakes were collected by 3 day food records, body compositions were measured by bio-impedence analyzer and sexual maturation stages were determined with a self-administrated questionnaire using Tanner stages in 1,114 girls 9 - 13 years of age. Girls were divided into early maturation ( EM) and late maturation ( LM) , ba-sed on the comparative maturation stages of breast and pubic hair among the same age groups by months. Subjects were excluded if their stage of maturation could not be divided into early and late groups. EM and LM groups consisted of 42.8% and 38.9% of subjects by breast stage and 67.4% and 22.8% by pubic hair stage. Girls in LM group had signifi-cantly lower in height, weight and bone mineral contents ( p < 0.05) . When nutrient densities of average daily intake of the two groups were compared, folate density was significantly higher among the LM group of breast stages ( p < 0.01) , and Ca, P, K, Vit. B 1 , Vit. B 2 and folate densities were significantly higher among the LM group of pubic hair stages ( p < 0.05) . These results show that intakes of some micronutrients differ between children with faster and slower sexual maturation velocities at early pubertal stages. More longitudinal studies are needed to confirm whether such differences are consis-tent throughout the pubertal period.
Body Composition* ; Bone Density ; Breast ; Child ; Female* ; Folic Acid ; Hair ; Humans ; Micronutrients ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexual Maturation*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in the craniofacial morphology ofdeepbite from childhood to adulthood using cross-sectional methods. To analyze the maxillofacial characteristics of adult deepbite.

METHODSThe sample included 159 children (with average age of 12.47 years old) and 81 adults (with average age of21.76 years old) with class III deepbite. The control group consisted of51 normal individuals (with average age of 18.41 years old). Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken and recorded in a computer through a scanner. Cephalometric measurements were conducted by using Winceph 7.0 software, and results were analyzed with SPSS 12.0 software.

RESULTSSignificant differences between child and adult deepbite were observed in the following: N-ANS, ANS-Me, A-Ms, A-Ptm, Wits, Mo-Ms, Ii-Ii, A-B plane angle to the mandibular plane angle, Gonial angle, L1 to NB length, overjet, mandibular body to anterior cranial base, Mo-Mi, posterior facial height, U1 to NA length, Pog-Go, Cd-Go, occlusion plane angle to SN, and U1 to SN. In addition, significant differences between adult deepbite and normal occlusion were observed in SNB, ANB, convexity, APDI, ODI, Wits, A-B plane to mandibular plane, Gonial angle, overjet, mandibular body to anterior cranial base, S-Ptm, Mo-Mi U1 to SN; Pog-Go, Cd-Go, posterior cranial base, and occlusion plane to SN and posterior facial height.

CONCLUSIONDeepbite patients have certain growth potential after puberty, but the sagittal relationship of their jaws exhibits no improvement. Adult deepbite patients exhibit significant problems in the vertical and sagittal jaw positions.

Adult ; Bone and Bones ; Cephalometry ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dental Occlusion ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible ; Sexual Maturation