Impact of timing of pubertal maturation on growth in black and white female adolescents: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of early, mid-onset, and late maturation , as assessed by timing of menarche, on height, height velocity weight, bod y mass index, and sum of skinfolds in a group of white and black girls. Study design: The Growth and Health Study recruited 9- and 10-year-old girl s from Richmond, California, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Washington, DC. There we re 616 white and 539 black participants recruited at age 9 and 550 white an d 674 black participants recruited at age 10. Participants were seen annual ly for 10 visits. Longitudinal regression models were used to test for. dif ferences in each growth measure by timing of menarche across all ages and t o determine whether these differences change with age. Results: Mean age at menarche among white participants was 12.7 years, and among black participants, 12.0 years. According to race-specific 20th and 8 0th percentiles, early maturers were tallest at early ages and shortest aft er adult stature had been attained. Peak height velocity and post-menarche increment in stature were greatest in early maturers and least in late matu rers. weight was greatest in early and least in late maturers, as was body mass index. Sum of skinfolds was also greatest in early and least in late m aturers. There was no impact of timing of maturation on two common measures of regional fat distribution. Conclusions: Girls who matured early were shorter in early adulthood, despi te having greater peak height velocity and post-menarchal increment in heig ht. Throughout puberty early maturers had greater ponderosity and adiposity , although there was no association with regional distribution of fat.