Maturational Timing and Overweight Prevalence in US Adolescent Girls

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Citation

Adair, Linda S. & Gordon-Larsen, Penny (2001). Maturational Timing and Overweight Prevalence in US Adolescent Girls. American Journal of Public Health, 91(4), 642-644. PMCID: PMC1446647

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relation of age at menarche to overweight in US adolescent girls.
METHODS: Effects of age at menarche and race/ethnicity on overweight were estimated via logistic regression, after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, in a sample of 6507 Hispanic, Black, White, and Asian American girls who participated in wave 2 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
RESULTS: Overweight prevalence rates were significantly higher in early maturing adolescents of all racial/ethnic groups but highest (57.5%) among early maturing Black girls. Early maturation nearly doubled the odds of being overweight (body mass index at or above the 85th percentile).
CONCLUSIONS: Greater public health attention should be focused on the high prevalence of overweight, particularly among minority female adolescents.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/ajph.91.4.642

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2001

Journal Title

American Journal of Public Health

Author(s)

Adair, Linda S.
Gordon-Larsen, Penny

PMCID

PMC1446647

ORCiD

Gordon-Larsen - 0000-0001-5322-4188
Adair - 0000-0002-3670-8073