Subjective pubertal timing and health compromising behaviors among on- time Swiss adolescent girls

Alsaker, Françoise; Deppen, Alain; Jeannin, André; Michaud, Pierre-André; Suris, Joan-Carles (2012). Subjective pubertal timing and health compromising behaviors among on- time Swiss adolescent girls. Acta paediatrica, 101(8), pp. 868-872. Wiley 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2012.02707.x

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AIM:

The aim of this research is to assess the associations between subjective pubertal timing (SPT) and onset of health-compromising behaviours among girls reporting an on-time objective pubertal timing (OPT).

METHODS:

Data were drawn from the Swiss SMASH 2002 survey, a self-administered questionnaire study conducted among a nationally representative sample of 7548 adolescents aged 16-20 years. From the 3658 girls in the initial sample, we selected only those (n = 1003) who provided information about SPT and who reported the average age at menarche, namely 13, considering this as an on-time OPT. Bivariate and logistic analyses were conducted to compare the early, on-time and late SPT groups in terms of onset of health-compromising behaviours.

RESULTS:

A perception of pubertal precocity was associated with sexual intercourse before age 16 [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.10 (1.30-3.37)] and early use of illegal drugs other than cannabis [AOR: 2.55 (1.30-5.02)]. Conversely, girls perceiving their puberty as late were less likely to report intercourse before age 16 [AOR: 0.30 (0.12-0.75)].

CONCLUSION:

Faced with an adolescent girl perceiving her puberty as early, the practitioner should investigate the existence of health-compromising behaviours even if her puberty is or was objectively on-time.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology > Developmental Psychology

UniBE Contributor:

Alsaker, Françoise

Subjects:

100 Philosophy > 150 Psychology

ISSN:

1651-2227

Publisher:

Wiley

Language:

English

Submitter:

Users 263 not found.

Date Deposited:

07 Aug 2014 13:37

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:36

Publisher DOI:

10.1111/j.1651-2227.2012.02707.x

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/57643

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