Does neighborhood environment influence girls' pubertal onset? findings from a cohort study

A recent article published in the BMC Pediatrics 2012 Journal looked at neighborhood factors that might affect early puberty in young girls.  Since some studies show that early puberty is implicated in breast cancer, as well as a host of other diseases, the study looked at early puberty in girls and neighborhood factors; BMI mass and ethnicity were examined in the study.  The study determined that only one neighborhood factor might be a predictor of early pubescent development and that was a lack of recreational facilities   However, this was a factor only in African American girls.  

According to the study, 43% of African American girls experience onset of breast development at 8 years as compared to 31% of Hispanic girls and 18% of Causcacian girls.   The authors of the study concluded: “Given the documented risk for early puberty among African American girls, these findings have important potential implications for public health interventions related to timing of puberty and related health outcomes in adolescence and adulthood.”

To view the full abstract:  http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/12/27

Does neighborhood environment influence girls' pubertal onset? findings from a cohort study

Julianna Deardorff^1*, Molly Fyfe¹, J Paul Ekwaru¹, Lawrence H Kushi², Louise C Greenspan² and Irene H Yen³