Childhood diet and growth in boys in relation to timing of puberty and adult height: the Longitudinal Studies of Child Health and Development

Alimujiang, Aliya; Colditz, Graham A.; Gardner, Jane; Park, Yikyung; Berkey, Catherine S.; Sutcliffe, Siobhan

doi:10.1007/s10552-018-1068-2

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…In our analyses, we modelled timing and tempo of self-reported genital change and found no association with the macronutrient variables. This result is in partial agreement with a German and US study that found higher dietary protein in childhood was consistently predictive of earlier height take-off and peak height velocity (12,46) , but not timing of voice-break (12) . Height take-off and peak height velocity are, respectively, early (G2) and later (G3-4) pubertal events controlled by synergistic changes in growth and gonadal hormone levels (47,48) .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

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New insights into the association of mid-childhood macronutrient intake to pubertal development in adolescence using nutritional geometry

et al. 2019

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Nutritional geometry (NG) is a novel dietary analysis approach that considers nutrient balance, rather than single nutrient effects, on health and behaviour. Through NG, recent animal experiments have found that lifespan and reproduction are differentially altered by dietary macronutrient distribution. Epidemiological research using NG reports similar findings for human ageing. Yet, the relation of macronutrient balance to human reproduction, especially reproductive maturation, remains undefined. We studied the impact of childhood macronutrient intake on pubertal maturation, by applying NG to an Australian longitudinal adolescent dataset. Food records, collected at age 8 years from 142 pre-pubertal children (females, 92; males, 50), were analysed for absolute energy, percentage energy and energy-adjusted residuals from protein, carbohydrate and fat. Pubertal stage change (assessed at 8, 13 and 15 years) was modelled to obtain individual mathematical estimates of pubertal timing and tempo. Timing of menarche was recorded. The association of macronutrients to pubertal timing/tempo was assessed via NG, involving generalised additive models and heat maps to aid interpretation. Results showed lower dietary protein (relative to carbohydrate and fat) in girls consistently predicted earlier pubertal timing and menarche, and was related to faster pubertal tempo (all P < 0·05). No significant associations were identified in boys for both timing and tempo. Results suggest a role of non-protein macronutrients in facilitating female maturation; corroborating feeding and reproductive behaviour patterns observed in earlier NG studies of primates. Application of NG to other adolescent datasets is required to confirm the present findings. Such work would advance understanding of how nutrient balance shapes human development and health.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…The present study represents one of three cohorts to have assessed macronutrient intake in relation to male puberty (12,13,46) . Historically, boys are under-represented in the literature due to the lack of a menarche-equivalent event that signifies achievement of reproductive competence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New insights into the association of mid-childhood macronutrient intake to pubertal development in adolescence using nutritional geometry

et al. 2019

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“…Several studies have reported that large consumption of sugar and sweet beverages among childhood worldwide exert negative health effects, [ 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 , 127 ] but the effects on puberty onset are still controversial. Only one prospective study found an association between early sexual development and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in a sample of 5583 American girls.…”

Section: Nutrient Intake During Childhood and Timing Of Pubertymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is worth considering that girls with energy malnutrition seem to experience menarche at a later age than well-fed girls [ 124 , 125 ].…”

Section: Nutrient Intake During Childhood and Timing Of Pubertymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Fetal, Infant, and Childhood Nutrition in the Timing of Sexual Maturation

et al. 2021

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Puberty is a crucial developmental stage in the life span, necessary to achieve reproductive and somatic maturity. Timing of puberty is modulated by and responds to central neurotransmitters, hormones, and environmental factors leading to hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis maturation. The connection between hormones and nutrition during critical periods of growth, like fetal life or infancy, is fundamental for metabolic adaptation response and pubertal development control and prediction. Since birth weight is an important indicator of growth estimation during fetal life, restricted prenatal growth, such as intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and small for gestational age (SGA), may impact endocrine system, affecting pubertal development. Successively, lactation along with early life optimal nutrition during infancy and childhood may be important in order to set up timing of sexual maturation and provide successful reproduction at a later time. Sexual maturation and healthy growth are also influenced by nutrition requirements and diet composition. Early nutritional surveillance and monitoring of pubertal development is recommended in all children, particularly in those at risk, such as the ones born SGA and/or IUGR, as well as in the case of sudden weight gain during infancy. Adequate macro and micronutrient intake is essential for healthy growth and sexual maturity.

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“…A healthy diet is an essential component for meeting proper nutrition requirement for optimal body growth and body weight during childhood [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. A poor diet can be a result of an imbalanced diet by overeating low-nutrient-dense foods such as refined carbohydrates and sweets and failing to consume other foods with high nutrient density, such as fruits, vegetables, and healthy meats [ 4 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eating Vegetables First at Start of Meal and Food Intake among Preschool Children in Japan

et al. 2020

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Eating behavior is an important aspect for dietary quality and long-term health. This study examined associations between eating vegetables first at a meal and food intakes among preschool children in Tokyo, Japan. We used cross-sectional data of 135 preschool children from seven nursery schools in Adachi City, Tokyo, Japan. Caregivers completed a survey on child’s eating behaviors and a diet questionnaire. Linear regression was used to examine frequency of eating vegetables first at a meal and food intakes; percent difference and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were presented. Overall, 25.2% of children reported eating vegetables first at a meal every time, 52.6% sometimes, and 22.2% not often or never. In the multivariate analysis, higher vegetable intake remained significant after adjusting for other covariates (compared with the group of eating vegetables first not often or never, the group reported sometimes: 27%, 95% CI: 0–63%; the group reported every time: 93%, 95% CI: 43–159%). No significant difference in intake by frequency categories of eating vegetables first was observed for other food groups, including fruits, meat, fish, cereals, and sweets. Children eating vegetables first at a meal more was associated with higher total intake of vegetables compared with children who did not eat vegetables first, among Japanese preschool children.

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Childhood diet and growth in boys in relation to timing of puberty and adult height: the Longitudinal Studies of Child Health and Development

Abstract: Our findings suggest that both childhood diet and growth potential/growth contribute to earlier pubertal timing and taller attained height in males, supporting roles of these factors in PCa development.

Cited by 15 publications

References 65 publications

New insights into the association of mid-childhood macronutrient intake to pubertal development in adolescence using nutritional geometry

New insights into the association of mid-childhood macronutrient intake to pubertal development in adolescence using nutritional geometry

The Role of Fetal, Infant, and Childhood Nutrition in the Timing of Sexual Maturation

Eating Vegetables First at Start of Meal and Food Intake among Preschool Children in Japan

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