Individual Differences in Puberty Onset in Girls: Bayesian Estimation of Heritabilities and Genetic Correlations

Berg, Stéphanie Martine van den; Setiawan, Adi; Bartels, Meike; Polderman, Tinca J. C.; Vaart, Aad van der; Boomsma, Dorret I.

doi:10.1007/s10519-005-9022-y

Cited by 58 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Twin studies show that timing of puberty is influenced by both genetic and environmental effects, with heritability estimates ranging from 50% to 80% (Eaves et al, 2004;Mustanski et al, 2004;Palmert & Boepple, 2006;van den Berg et al, 2006). Molecular and animal studies suggest polygenic effects.…”

Section: Heritability Of Testosterone Levels In Early Pubertymentioning

confidence: 99%

Heritability of Testosterone Levels in 12-Year-Old Twins and Its Relation to Pubertal Development

Hoekstra¹,

Bartels

Boomsma

2006

Twin Res Hum Genet

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The aim of this study was to estimate the heritability of variation in testosterone levels in 12-year-old children, and to explore the overlap in genetic and environmental influences on circulating testosterone levels and androgen-dependent pubertal development. Midday salivary testosterone samples were collected on 2 consecutive days in a sample of 183 unselected twin pairs. Androgen-induced pubertal development was assessed using self-report Tanner scales of pubic hair development (boys and girls) and genital development (boys). A significant contribution of genetic effects to the variance in testosterone levels was found. Heritability was approximately 50% in both boys and girls. The remaining proportion of the variance in testosterone levels could be explained by nonshared environmental influences. The relatively high correlation between testosterone levels of opposite-sex dizygotic twins suggests that sex differences in genes influencing variation in testosterone levels have not yet developed in preand early puberty. Variance in pubertal development was explained by a large genetic component, moderate shared environmental influences, and a small nonshared environmental effect. Testosterone levels correlated moderately (r = .31) with pubertal development; the covariance between testosterone levels and pubertal development was entirely accounted for by genetic influences.

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Section: Heritability Of Testosterone Levels In Early Pubertymentioning

confidence: 99%

Heritability of Testosterone Levels in 12-Year-Old Twins and Its Relation to Pubertal Development

Hoekstra¹,

Bartels

Boomsma

2006

Twin Res Hum Genet

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“…The mean age for menarche in white healthy girls is 12.6 years (Biro et al, 2006) but it can vary from 8 to 17 years and still be considered as normal and not pathological (van den Berg et al, 2006). Sex hormone concentration rises and produces sexual lust and many of the males start to masturbate at the age of 13 to 15 while the onset in females is more gradual (Bancroft, 2003).…”

Section: Sexual Development During Adolescencementioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual behaviour, debut and identity among Swedish Schoolchildren

Kastbom¹

2015

Linköping University Medical Dissertations

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Background: Sexual behaviour among schoolchildren and adolescents is a sparsely researched area and there are delicate methodological obstacles and ethical concerns when conducting such research. Still it is a subject that engages both parents and professionals. A sexualized behaviour or an early sexual debut (younger than 14 years) can be a sign of sexual abuse. It is therefore of importance to describe what is common and what is uncommon sexual behaviour among children and what the consequences of an early or a late sexual debut may be for the individual upon reaching late adolescence. Adolescents who identify themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) are also a group that needs further attention and research since they are often described as having a lower quality of life and more often experience child abuse than heterosexual teens. Aims: The research leading to this thesis had four goals: 1) to elucidate the sexual behaviour of children between the ages of 7 and 13 as observed by their parents, 2) to investigate the relationship between an early sexual debut (before 14 years of age) and socio-demographic data, sexual experience, health, experience of child abuse and behaviour at 18-years-of-age, 3) to explore associations with no sexual debut (no oral, vaginal or anal sex) at the age of 18, and 4) to describe the relationship between sexual identification and socio-demographic background data, sexual behaviour, health and health behaviour, experiences of child sexual and/or physical abuse and present behaviour among Swedish adolescents. Methods: The parents of 418 children answered questionnaires about their child’s behaviour, both general and sexual, and a sample of 3432 Swedish high school students completed a survey about sexuality, health and abuse at the age of 18. In addition, 362 members of the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL) completed the same survey at a mean age of 21.4 years. Results: Most of the sexual behaviours among the schoolchildren were common, and in part related to, or varied with, age and gender. A small number of sexual behaviours often referred to as sexualised or problematic behaviours (for example, kissing adults with the tongue, imitating intercourse, masturbating in public, and touching other children’s genitals with the mouth) were found to be very unusual or not reported by any parent in this normative group of Swedish children. Among the adolescents, an early debut (younger than 14 years of age) correlated positively with number of partners, experience of oral and anal sex, smoking, drug and alcohol use and antisocial behaviour, such as being violent, lying, stealing and running away from home. Girls with an early sexual debut had significantly more experience of sexual abuse while boys with an early sexual debut were more likely to have a weak sense of coherence, low self-esteem and poor mental health, together with experience of sexual abuse, selling sex and physical abuse. A multiple logistic regression model showed that a number...

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“…Its onset requires an intact hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, the reactivation of the secretion of pulsatile gonadotrophin-releasing hormone from its stage of childhood quiescence, and the stimulation of luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone secretion, which in turn activate the production of the gonadal sex steroid, oestradiol, in girls. [1][2][3] The external sign of puberty onset in girls is the appearance of breast buds, because breast tissue is the primary target of oestradiol. This usually occurs between 10 and 11 years of age.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…[4] Menarche occurs in middle or late puberty, usually within 2 years of pubertal onset. [2] However, there is wide variation in the normal pubertal timing among various populations separated in time and space. [4,5] Many different factors contribute to this variation, including genetic factors, [2] nutrition, [6,7] ethnicity [8,9] and socioeconomic status.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[2] However, there is wide variation in the normal pubertal timing among various populations separated in time and space. [4,5] Many different factors contribute to this variation, including genetic factors, [2] nutrition, [6,7] ethnicity [8,9] and socioeconomic status. [6,10] Previous studies have shown a decreasing mean age of pubertal breast development over time.…”

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Pubertal breast development in primary school girls in Sokoto, North-western Nigeria

Ugege¹,

Airede

Omar

et al. 2017

S Afr J CH

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The study was carried out in Sokoto, the capital city of Sokoto state, in the North-Western geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, but the three major ethnic groups Background. There is wide variation in normal pubertal timing among various populations. Objectives. To determine the mean age of pubertal stages of breast development and menarche, and the influence of nutrition and ethnicity on pubertal onset in primary school girls in Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria. Methods. A cross-sectional study using a multistage random sampling design was conducted on 994 primary school girls in grades 3 -6. Weight and height measurements and Tanner breast staging were done. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and a BMI-for-age percentile was used to categorise nutritional status. There were four major ethnic groups. P≤0.05 was taken as showing statistical significance. Results. The participants' mean age was 10.23 years (standard deviation (SD) 1.70, range 6 -15 years). Of the 994 girls, 628 (63.2%) were pre-pubertal, and 366 (36.8%) were pubertal. Of the latter, 158 (15.9%) were in breast stage 2, while 112 (11.3%), 70 (7.0%) and 26 (2.6%) were in breast stages 3, 4 and 5, respectively. The mean ages (SD; range) of pubertal onset and menarche were 10.50 (1.33; 8 -13), and 12.67 (1.65; 11 -15), years, respectively. The overnourished (overweight/obese) and Igbo ethnic group girls had early-normal pubertal onset (p=0.006 and p=0.001, respectively). Conclusion. The mean ages of Tanner breast stages 1 -5 and menarcheal age of girls in Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria, were within the age ranges reported worldwide. Pubertal onset was influenced by nutrition. S Afr J Child Health

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Individual Differences in Puberty Onset in Girls: Bayesian Estimation of Heritabilities and Genetic Correlations

Cited by 58 publications

References 36 publications

Heritability of Testosterone Levels in 12-Year-Old Twins and Its Relation to Pubertal Development

Heritability of Testosterone Levels in 12-Year-Old Twins and Its Relation to Pubertal Development

Sexual behaviour, debut and identity among Swedish Schoolchildren

Pubertal breast development in primary school girls in Sokoto, North-western Nigeria

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