Accuracy of pubertal Tanner staging self-reporting.
OBJECTIVE
Previous studies examining the reliability of self-reported Tanner stages have given conflicting results. We report on the reliability of self-reported Tanner stages in lean healthy children.


METHODS
Self-reported Tanner staging of 240 children (130 girls, 110 boys) were compared to the ratings of a pediatric endocrinologist who was unaware of the children's self-assessments. The correlation between the two approaches was analyzed using kappa statistics.


RESULTS
40% (kappa coeffcient = 0.49, p <0.001) and 23% (kappa coefficient = 0.68, p <0.001) of the girls rated their breast and pubic Tanner stage incorrectly, respectively; 39% of the boys (kappa coefficient = 0.49, p <0.001) rated their pubic stage incorrectly. The age of the children who self-rated correctly and incorrectly was not different; no independent predictors for correct Tanner staging self-assessment were found.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this analysis suggest that self-rated Tanner pubertal staging is not influenced by age and is not a reliable method of assessing Tanner stage.
Desmangles
Jean-Claude
JC
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology/Diabetes, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68131, USA. jeanclaudi@creighton.edu
Lappe
Joan M
JM
Lipaczewski
Gina
G
Haynatzki
Gleb
G
D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016353:Self-Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires