title: Timing of puberty and physical growth in obese children: a longitudinal study in boys and girls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether puberty and physical growth vary in obese when compared to normal-weight children.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred obese pre-pubertal children (44 boys; mean age (±SD): 9.01 ± 0.62 years; 56 girls; 8.70 ± 0.57 years) were compared to 55 normal-weight controls (27 boys; 9.17 ± 0.26 years; 28 girls; 8.71 ± 0.62 years). All study participants were followed prospectively with 6-monthly follow-up visits. At each study visit, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and pubertal stage were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obese children entered puberty and achieved later stages of puberty earlier than controls (onset of puberty: boys: 11.66 ± 1.00 vs. 12.12 ± 0.91 years, P = 0.049; girls: 9.90 ± 0.78 vs. 10.32 ± 1.70, P = 0.016; late puberty: boys: 13.33 ± 0.71 vs. 14.47 ± 1.00 years, P < 0.001; girls: 11.54 ± 0.99 vs. 12.40 ± 1.02, P = 0.001). Pre-pubertal BMI standard deviation score (SDS) was inversely associated with both age at the onset of puberty (β = -0.506, P < 0.001) and age at late puberty (β = -0.514, P < 0.001). Obese children also showed an earlier age at peak height velocity (PHV) (boys: 12.62 ± 0.82 vs. 13.19 ± 0.96 years, P = 0.01; girls: 11.37 ± 0.89 vs. 12.77 ± 0.76, P < 0.001) and a lower PHV (boys: 7.74 ± 1.49 vs. 9.28 ± 1.64 cm year(-1) , P < 0.001; girls: 7.60 ± 1.64 vs. 8.29 ± 1.03, P = 0.03). Height SDS progressively declined over the study period in the obese group (P for trend <0.001), whereas there were no significant changes in the control group (P for trend = 0.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obese boys and girls presented an earlier onset of puberty and completion of puberty and an impaired height gain during puberty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy; Center of Excellence on Aging, 'G. D'Annunzio' University Foundation, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Leonibus
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Marcovecchio
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chiavaroli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Giorgis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohn
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011627:Puberty; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Children; growth; obesity; puberty