ANALYSIS OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN SELF-ASSESS MENT AND OBSERVED CLASSIFICATION OF PUBERTAL DEVELOPMENT AMONG SCHOOL GIRLS

Aim To test the reliability of the self-classification concerning leve ls of breast and Pubic hair development among female adolescents of di fferent socioeconomic groups. Material and Method A total of 445 femal e adolescents attending three secondary schools located in Ribeirao Pr eto, State of S. Paulo, Brazil, were studied. After being familiarised with Tanner's tables of breast and pubic hair development, the adoles cents were asked to self classify themselves according to these variab les. The results were compared to those obtained by a physical examina tion carried out soon after. Results Agreement rates between referred and observed information on breast development varied from 57.3% to 65 .2%. For pubic hair the values varied from 65.4% to 73.5%. Total agree ment rates for breast and pubic hair development, when considered simu ltaneously, reached values below 50.0% in the three schools. However, high agreement rates were observed for some critical degrees, such as B2, B4 and PH4. Conclusions Significant events, such as the beginning of pubertal development, the menarche and the showing down of the body 's development growth could be determined with acceptable levels of ag reement. The low agreement rates observed for the simultaneous analysi s of the degree of both breast and pubic hair show the need for the pe rfecting Of methodologies that can replace the physical examination of adolescents, adolescents, once, reliable information about pubertal d evelopment is obtained in field studies.