Association between healthy lifestyle pattern and early onset of puberty: based on a longitudinal follow-up study

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the association between healthy lifestyle pattern and childhood early onset of puberty. Based on a cohort study in Xiamen of China, a total of 1294 children was followed for three and a half years. Children’s lifestyles, including dietary behavior, physical activity, sleep duration, smoking and drinking behavior, and sedentary behavior, were collected by questionnaires. Healthy lifestyle pattern was determined mainly according to the recommendations by the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese School-age children and Canadian Guidelines for children and youth. The pubertal development was assessed by clinical examination according to Tanner stages. The association between prepubertal lifestyle and early onset of puberty were estimated using linear regression and log-binomial regression. We found that children who adhered to a healthy lifestyle had a 0.36-year delay of the age of puberty onset (Coef=0.36, 95% CI=0.08-0.65) and 53% lower risk of early onset of puberty (RR=0.47, 95% CI=0.27-0.80), compared with those who had a poor lifestyle. However, the beneficial effect of favorable lifestyles on the early onset of puberty was found only in boys with normal weight. Boys who adhered to active physical activity and low sedentary behavior had a relatively delayed age of puberty onset (Coef=0.49, 95% CI=0.26-0.72). This is the first time to find that healthy lifestyle pattern was associated with a substantially lower risk of early onset of puberty, especially in boys with normal weight. Advocating an integrated healthy lifestyle is essential for the development of children.

Association between BMI and age at menarche or spermarche among both sexes: Findings from six successive national surveys in China

“…Similar to the results of this study, the difference in overweight and obesity between urban and rural areas of Chinese children and adolescents also found a decreasing trend over time [49]. It is essential to promote a healthy lifestyle and counteract the prevalence of obesity, especially among rural children and adolescents [50,51].…”

Outcomes of pubertal development in girls as a function of pubertal onset age

“…Some investigators found that girls who started puberty early tended to reach menarche rapidly (9,10), but the interval from Tanner stage B2 to peak height velocity was longer for early maturing girls than that of average or late maturing girls (10). In contrast, Li et al found no evidence for an association between timing and tempo in Chinese girls (11), and Marceau et al suggested that timing and tempo were associated in boys, but not in girls (12).…”

COVID‐19 and early puberty—An unintended consequence of COVID‐19 lockdown?

“…Many countries imposed restrictions on flights from China, movement, and social contact, as well as visitors from high-risk areas were required to be quarantined (Coronavirus, 2020).Individuals, particularly children, were highly likely to spend more time at home due to the lockdown mandated by the governments of several countries, including Pakistan, Brazil, India, Turkey and China affecting their daily routine significantly (Ali et al, 2022;Barberi et al, 2022;Prosperi & Chiarelli, 2022). Lifestyle changes, such as dietary habits and sleep schedules, can have a substantial impact on a child's sexual development, including the initiation of puberty (Li et al, 2022).…”