Polygenic Influences on Pubertal Timing and Tempo and Depressive Symptoms in Boys and Girls.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Horvath G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6810710 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Polygenic Influences on Pubertal Timing and Tempo and Depressive Symptoms in Boys and Girls.
Horvath Gregor G Knopik Valerie S VS Marceau Kristine K
Journal of research on adolescence : the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence 20190422 1
This study used polygenic scoring (PGS) to test whether puberty-related genes were correlated with depressive symptoms, and whether there were indirect effects through pubertal maturation. The sample included 8,795 adolescents from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (measures of puberty drawn ages 8-17 years; of depressive symptoms at age 16.5 years). The PGS (derived from a genome-wide meta-analysis of later age at menarche) predicted boys' and girls' later pubertal timing, boy ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundRecurrent depressive episodes during adolescence result in significant impairment and increased risk for subsequent adverse outcomes throughout the life span. Evidence suggests that early pubertal timing predicts the onset of depressive episodes (particularly for girls); however, it is not known if pubertal timing prospectively predicts recurrent depressive episodes in youth.MethodsAt baseline, 603 youth (56% female, at baseline: Mage = 12.09, SD = 2.35) reported on their pubertal development. Youth and their parents completed a semistructured diagnostic interview to assess depressive episodes at baseline and then evaluated for onset repeatedly every 6 months for a period of 36 months.ResultsControlling for past history of depression, Cox proportional hazards models examined whether earlier pubertal timing predicted (a) days to first depressive episode from baseline and (b) days to a second (recurrent) depressive episode from the end of the first episode. Early pubertal timing predicted the onset of the first depressive episode after baseline (b = .19, Wald = 5.36, p = .02, HR = 1.21), as well as a recurrent episode during course of study follow-up episode (b = .32, Wald = 6.16, p = .01, HR = 1.38).ConclusionsFindings reinforce the importance of considering the impact of early pubertal timing on depression risk. Investigation on how pubertal timing interacts with other risk factors to predict depression recurrence is needed.
| S-EPMC7396277 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background and objectivesPubertal timing is a key life history trait with long-term health consequences in both sexes. Evolutionary theory has guided extensive research on developmental influences, in particular growing up without a father, on earlier menarche. Far less is known whether a similar relationship exists for boys, especially beyond western contexts. We used longitudinal data from the nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents, which provided us with a unique opportunity for studying male puberty using a hitherto underutilized biomarker: age at first nocturnal ejaculation.MethodologyWe pre-registered and tested a prediction that growing up in father-absent households is associated with earlier puberty in both sexes. Large sample size (>6000) allowed testing the effect of father absence, which remains relatively uncommon in Korea, while adjusting for potential confounders using Cox proportional-hazard models.ResultsSelf-reported age at first nocturnal ejaculation was on average 13.8 years, falling within the range known from other societies. Unlike previous findings mostly for white girls, we did not find evidence that Korean girls in father-absent households had a younger age at menarche. Boys in father-absent households reported having their first nocturnal ejaculation 3 months earlier on average, and the difference was evident before age 14.Conclusion and implicationsThe association between father absence and pubertal timing appears sex- and age-dependent, and these differences may further interact with cultural norms regarding gender roles. Our study also highlights the utility of the recalled age of first ejaculation for male puberty research, which has lagged in both evolutionary biology and medicine.
| S-EPMC10266580 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Context: The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been on the rise, driven by maternal obesity. In parallel, pubertal tempo has increased in the general population, driven by childhood obesity.Objective: To evaluate the available evidence on pubertal timing of boys and girls born to mothers with GDM.Data sources: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane library and grey literature for observational studies up to October 2019. Study selection and extraction: Two reviewers independently selected studies, collected data and appraised the studies for risk of bias. Results were tabulated and narratively described.Results: Seven studies (six for girls and four for boys) were included. Study quality score was mostly moderate (ranging from 4 to 10 out of 11). In girls born to mothers with GDM, estimates suggest earlier timing of pubarche, thelarche and menarche although for each of these outcomes only one study each showed a statistically significant association. In boys, there was some association between maternal GDM and earlier pubarche, but inconsistency in the direction of shift of age at onset of genital and testicular development and first ejaculation. Only a single study analysed growth patterns in children of mothers with GDM, describing a 3-month advancement in the age of attainment of peak height velocity and a slight increase in pubertal tempo.Conclusions: Pubertal timing may be influenced by the presence of maternal GDM, though current evidence is sparse and of limited quality. Prospective cohort studies should be conducted, ideally coupled with objective biochemical tests.
| S-EPMC7707806 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background Children with congenital heart defects (CHD) have an increased risk of developmental delay. It remains sparsely investigated if these patients also have a delayed pubertal development. In this nationwide cohort study, we evaluated if CHD was associated with timing of puberty using longitudinally collected data on pubertal milestones. Methods and Results We used data from the Danish nationwide Puberty Cohort. Information on CHD was obtained from the Danish National Patient Register. Information on pubertal development was obtained from 15 780 children through questionnaires answered half-yearly from 11 years until 18 years or full maturity. Using a multivariable regression model for censored time-to-event data, mean difference in age at attaining each pubertal milestone was estimated, including a combined pubertal marker. Compared with children without CHD, analyses were performed for both CHD overall and subdivided into simple and complex CHD. In a subanalysis, analyses were repeated in children born at term. In total, 137 children (62 boys and 75 girls) had a CHD diagnosis. Overall, no difference in age at pubertal timing was observed for children with CHD compared with unaffected children. The average differences were small for both boys (1.6 [95% CI, -2.6 to 5.7] months) and girls (1.0 [95% CI, -2.5 to 4.4] months). The same differences were observed when subdividing into simple or complex CHD and when restricting to children born at term. Conclusions We found no association between CHD and pubertal timing. For the group of children with complex CHD, we were unable to exclude a later pubertal timing.
| S-EPMC9075439 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAnimal studies suggest that phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in many consumer products, may impact the timing of puberty.ObjectivesWe aimed to determine the association of prenatal exposure to high-molecular-weight phthalates and BPA with pubertal timing in boys and girls participating in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) longitudinal cohort study.MethodsWe quantified urinary concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites and BPA at two time points during pregnancy among participating mothers ([Formula: see text]) and conducted clinical Tanner staging of puberty on their children every 9 months between 9 and 13 y of age. We conducted accelerated failure time models and examined the role of child overweight/obese status in this association.ResultsThe sum of urinary metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [Formula: see text], monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), and BPA were associated with later onset of at least one of the three outcomes assessed in girls (thelarche, pubarche, or menarche) and with earlier onset of at least one of the two outcomes assessed in boys (gondarche and pubarche). We found that monocarboxynonyl phthalate, monocarboxyoctyl phthalate, mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate, and BPA were associated with later pubarche and menarche mostly among normal-weight girls but not overweight/obese girls. MBzP was associated with later thelarche in all girls, and [Formula: see text] was associated with later thelarche and menarche in all girls. BPA and all phthalate biomarkers were associated with earlier gonadarche and pubarche in all boys as well as in overweight/obese boys when stratified by weight. Among normal-weight boys, associations with BPA were also inverse, whereas associations with phthalate metabolites were close to the null or positive.ConclusionsSeveral high-molecular-weight phthalates and BPA were associated with later puberty in girls and earlier puberty in boys included in the CHAMACOS cohort study. Childhood overweight/obesity may modify these associations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3424.
| S-EPMC6375461 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Study questionAre in-utero or peripubertal exposures to phthalates, parabens and other phenols found in personal care products associated with timing of pubertal onset in boys and girls?Summary answerWe found some associations of altered pubertal timing in girls, but little evidence in boys.What is known alreadyCertain chemicals in personal care and consumer products, including low molecular weight phthalates, parabens and phenols, or their precursors, are associated with altered pubertal timing in animal studies.Study design, size, durationData were from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) longitudinal cohort study which followed 338 children in the Salinas Valley, California, from before birth to adolescence.Participants/materials, setting, methodsPregnant women were enrolled in 1999-2000. Mothers were mostly Latina, living below the federal poverty threshold and without a high school diploma. We measured concentrations of three phthalate metabolites (monoethyl phthalate [MEP], mono-n-butyl phthalate and mono-isobutyl phthalate), methyl and propyl paraben and four other phenols (triclosan, benzophenone-3 and 2,4- and 2,5-dichlorophenol) in urine collected from mothers during pregnancy and from children at age 9. Pubertal timing was assessed among 179 girls and 159 boys every 9 months between ages 9 and 13 using clinical Tanner staging. Accelerated failure time models were used to obtain mean shifts of pubertal timing associated with concentrations of prenatal and peripubertal biomarkers.Main results and the role of chanceIn girls, we observed earlier onset of pubic hair development with prenatal urinary MEP concentrations and earlier menarche with prenatal triclosan and 2,4-dichlorophenol concentrations. Regarding peripubertal biomarkers, we observed: earlier breast development, pubic hair development and menarche with methyl paraben; earlier menarche with propyl paraben; and later pubic hair development with 2,5-dichlorophenol. In boys, we observed no associations with prenatal urinary biomarker concentrations and only one association with peripubertal concentrations: earlier genital development with propyl paraben.Limitations, reasons for cautionThese chemicals are quickly metabolized and one to two urinary measurements per developmental point may not accurately reflect usual exposure. Associations of peripubertal measurements with parabens may reflect reverse causality: children going through puberty early may be more likely to use personal care products. The study population was limited to Latino children of low socioeconomic status living in a farmworker community and may not be widely generalizable.Wider implications of the findingsThis study contributes to a growing literature that suggests that exposure to certain endocrine disrupting chemicals may impact timing of puberty in children.Study funding/competing interest(s)This study was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the US Environmental Protection Agency. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.Trial registration numberN/A.
| S-EPMC6295961 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundEarly puberty timing is associated with adverse health outcomes. We aimed to examine prospective associations between objectively measured physical activity and puberty timing in boys and girls.MethodsIn the UK Millennium Cohort Study, physical activity volume and intensities at 7 years were measured using accelerometers. Status of several pubertal traits and age at menarche were reported at 11, 14 and 17 years. Age at menarche in girls was categorized into tertiles. Other puberty traits were categorized into earlier or later than the median ages calculated from probit models, separately in boys and girls. Multivariable regression models, with adjustment for maternal and child characteristics including body mass index (BMI) at age 7 years as potential confounders, were performed to test the associations of total daily activity counts and fractions of activity counts across intensities (in compositional models) with puberty timing, separately in boys (n = 2531) and girls (n = 3079).ResultsHigher total daily activity counts were associated with lower risks for earlier (vs later) growth spurt, body hair growth, skin changes and menarche in girls, and more weakly with lower risks for earlier skin changes and voice breaking in boys (odds ratios = 0.80-0.87 per 100 000 counts/day). These associations persisted on additional adjustment for BMI at 11 years as a potential mediator. No association with puberty timing was seen for any physical activity intensity (light, moderate or vigorous).ConclusionsMore physical activity regardless of intensity may contribute to the avoidance of earlier puberty timing, independently of BMI, particularly in girls.
| S-EPMC10555885 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveEvidence stemming largely from retrospective studies suggests that childhood adversity (CA) is associated with earlier age at menarche, a marker of pubertal timing, among girls. Little is known about associations with pubertal tempo among boys or racial/ethnic minorities. We examined the association between CA and timing and tempo of pubertal development among boys and girls.MethodsThe Boricua Youth Study is a longitudinal study of Puerto Rican youth residing in the San Juan metro area in Puerto Rico and the South Bronx, New York. CA was based on caretaker reports of parental loss and parental maladjustment and youth reports of child maltreatment and exposure to violence. Youth completed the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS) yearly for 3 years. In linear mixed models stratified by sex, we examined the association between CA and pubertal timing and tempo, adjusting for site, socioeconomic status, and age.ResultsAmong the 1949 children who were 8 years or older by wave 3, cumulative CA was associated with higher PDS scores among girls compared with girls not exposed to CA (PDS score: 2.63 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 2.55-2.71] versus 2.48 [95% CI = 2.37-2.58]). In contrast, among boys, experiencing adversities was associated with lower pubertal developmental stage or later timing (PDS: 1.77 [95% CI = 1.67-1.87] versus 1.97 [95% CI = 1.85-2.10]) compared with those not exposed to adversities.ConclusionsAssociations between CA and pubertal development may vary by sex. Understanding the etiological role of adversities on pubertal development and identifying targets for intervention are of utmost importance in ameliorating the impact of CA on child health.
| S-EPMC8058697 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The COPENHAGEN Puberty Study is a combined cross sectional and longitudinal population based cohort study of healthy Danish children and adolescents. The clinical evaluations were performed by trained physicians and included pubertal staging of breast development according to Tanner´s classification evaluated by palpation. As a measure of pubertal onset a testicular volume of 4 ml or a breast tanner stage of B2 or more was used for boys and girls, respectively. The mean age between two examinations where this threshold was reached was used as their age of pubertal onset. Pre- and post-pubertal samples from 20 girls and 31 boys, in total 102 samples, were normalised using a Subset quantile Within-Array Normalization (SWAN) procedure and probes containing SNPs in the CpG or extension sites were removed.
2016-06-28 | E-MTAB-4187 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:BackgroundRecent findings indicate that there is a body weight-sensing homeostatic regulation of body weight in postpubertal rodents and humans. It is possible that body weight sensing also might be involved in the regulation of pubertal timing. Although an early small study suggested that there is a critical body weight for pubertal timing in girls, most studies have focused on BMI and reported an inverse association between BMI and pubertal timing.ObjectivesIn the present longitudinal well-powered cohort study, we revisited the critical weight hypothesis and tested if prepubertal body weight is a more robust inverse predictor of pubertal timing than prepubertal BMI in boys.MethodWe included men born during 1945-1961 (old cohort; n = 31,971) and men born during 1981-1996 (recent cohort; n = 1465) in the large BMI Epidemiology Study (BEST) Gothenburg (combined BEST cohort n = 33,436). Men with information on prepubertal body weight and BMI at 8 y of age and age at peak height velocity (PHV; an objective measure of pubertal timing) were included.ResultsBody weight explained more of the variance in age at PHV than BMI in both the old cohort and the recent cohort (combined cohort, body weight 6.3%, BMI 3.6%). Both body weight (β: -0.24 SD/SD increase in weight; 95% CI: -0.25, -0.23) and BMI (β: -0.18 SD/SD increase in BMI, 95% CI: -0.19, -0.17) were inversely associated with age at PHV but the association for body weight was significantly more pronounced than the association for BMI (P < 0.001).ConclusionsIn conclusion, prepubertal body weight is a more robust inverse predictor of pubertal timing than prepubertal BMI in boys. We propose that body weight sensing constitutes a feedback mechanism to regulate pubertal timing.
| S-EPMC7779230 | biostudies-literature