Epidemiological and anthropometric characteristics of girls aged 7 to 10 years evaluated for onset of puberty in a pediatric hospital in Peru
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58597/rpe.v4i4.135Keywords:
Puberty, Precocious, Puberty, Early, Girls, Epidemiology, AnthropometryAbstract
Objective: To determine the epidemiological and anthropometric characteristics of girls aged 7 to 10 years evaluated for the onset of puberty in a pediatric hospital in Peru, 2024. Materials and methods: This was an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study. Medical records of girls aged 7 to 10 years were reviewed. For the analysis, participants were classified into two subgroups: precocious puberty and non-precocious puberty (early and physiological puberty). Chi-square tests were used for categorical variables and the Mann–Whitney U test for numerical variables, considering p < 0.05 as statistically significant. Analyses were performed using SPSS v.21. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the National Institute of Child Health. Results: Among the 138 medical records reviewed, 53.6% corresponded to girls with precocious puberty. The height-for-age z-score was significantly higher in the precocious puberty group (1.04 vs. 0.32; p < 0.01). No significant differences were found in nutritional status based on BMI or abdominal circumference. Regarding pubertal development, girls with precocious puberty more frequently presented advanced Tanner breast stages (79.7% vs. 35.9%) and more developed pubic hair (23% vs. 6.3%) compared with the non-precocious group, with statistical significance (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The findings highlight the need to strengthen early detection and interdisciplinary management of pubertal onset in girls. Further studies exploring biological, environmental, and social factors associated with puberty are recommended.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Cesar Jesus Jara Vargas, Carlos Manuel Del Águila-Villar , Luis Rómulo Lu de Lama , Oswaldo Núñez-Almache , Eliana Manuela de Jesús Chávez-Tejada, Oscar Antonio Espinoza Robles , Paola Marianella Pinto-Ibárcena , Martha Rosario Calagua-Quispe, Miguel Ángel De Los Santos La Torre , Pamela Miluska Azabache-Tafur
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