Timing of pubertal onset in Norwegian children and influencing factors
Prosjekt
- Prosjektnummer
- 911975
- Ansvarlig person
- Petur Juliusson
- Institusjon
- Helse Bergen HF
- Prosjektkategori
- Forskningsprosjekt
- Helsekategori
- Metabolic and Endocrine
- Forskningsaktivitet
- 2. Aetiology
Rapporter
The study explores somatic and endocrine changes of puberty in a cohort of normal Norwegian children and aims to define the timing of puberty onset, identify influencing factors, and to provide novel objective measures of pubertal development by doing direct measures of breast glandular tissue and testicular size with ultrasound.Mean age of menarche has declined in Europe from about 17 years in the 19th century to about 13 years in the mid-20th century. Recent data from Denmark and the US have suggested earlier breast development in girls during the last two decades, with small changes in menarche during the same period. Furthermore, ongoing downward secular trends in male onset of puberty have been observed. The mechanisms behind remain poorly understood but nutrition, body composition and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have emerged as potential influential factors. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Norwegian children has tripled during the last decades and measured levels of EDCs have been reported as high. Early puberty is related with short- and long-term negative health outcomes as psychosocial maladjustment, overweight/obesity and malignancy. Information about normal pubertal development is mandatory when assessing children with suspected early or late puberty as in children with short or tall stature. In Norway, data of normal pubertal development is limited to menarche. Information on somatic and hormonal pubertal changes in Norwegian children is lacking. The main aims of the study: 1. Document somatic changes of pubertal development by Tanner staging, objective ultrasound measurements of glandula mammae and testicles, body composition by bioimpedance, and anthropometric measurements (height, weight, waist circumference, skinfolds). 2. Measure levels of pubertal hormones and sex steroid metabolites during pubertal development in blood, saliva and urine. 3. Measure levels of EDCs in plasma and urine during puberty.
During January-May 2016, a total of 1170 boys and girls aged 6-16 years from a random sample of schools in Bergen County were investigated and included into the study. Two PhD-candidates will be attached to the study from 2017.
The study will explore somatic and endocrine changes of puberty in a cohort of normal Norwegian children, define the timing of puberty onset, identify influencing factors, and to provide novel objective measures of pubertal development by doing direct measures of breast glandular tissue and testicular size with ultrasound.Mean age of menarche has declined in Europe from about 17 years in the 19th century to about 13 years in the mid-20th century. Recent data from Denmark and the US have suggested earlier breast development in girls during the last two decades, with small changes in menarche during the same period. Furthermore, ongoing downward secular trends in male onset of puberty have been observed. The mechanisms behind remain poorly understood but nutrition, body composition and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have emerged as potential influential factors. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Norwegian children has tripled during the last decades and measured levels of EDCs have been reported as high. Early puberty is related with short- and long-term negative health outcomes as psychosocial maladjustment, overweight/obesity and malignancy. Information about normal pubertal development is mandatory when assessing children with suspected early or late puberty as in children with short or tall stature.
In Norway, data of normal pubertal development is limited to menarche. Information on somatic and hormonal pubertal changes in Norwegian children is lacking.
The main aims of the study:
1. Document somatic changes of pubertal development by Tanner staging, objective ultrasound measurements of glandula mammae and testicles, body composition by bioimpedance, and anthropometric measurements (height, weight, waist circumference, skinfolds).
2. Measure levels of pubertal hormones and sex steroid metabolites during pubertal development in blood, saliva and urine.
3. Measure levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plasma and urine during puberty.
A total of 2000 children aged 6-16 years from a random sample of schools in Bergen County will be included into the study. All children in the selected schools will be invided to participate.
The data will be collected between January and May 2016.
Deltagere
- Petur Benedikt Juliusson Prosjektleder
- Robert Bjerknes Medveileder
- Karen Rosendahl Medveileder
- Mathieu Roelants Prosjektdeltaker
- Ninnie Oehme Ph.d.-kandidat
- Ingvild Bruserud Ph.d.-kandidat
- Jérôme Ruzzin Prosjektdeltaker
- Bjørg Almås Prosjektdeltaker
- Gunnar Mellgren Prosjektdeltaker
eRapport er utarbeidet av Sølvi Lerfald og Reidar Thorstensen, Regionalt kompetansesenter for klinisk forskning, Helse Vest RHF, og videreutvikles av de fire RHF-ene i fellesskap, med støtte fra Helse Vest IKT
Alle henvendelser rettes til Faglig rapportering, Helse Vest