Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Family Antecedents and the Subsequent Outcomes of Early Puberty

  • Empirical Research
  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine both the family antecedents and the outcomes of early puberty, with a particular focus on factors related to family socioeconomic status (SES). The study employed a comprehensive measurement of pubertal development and longitudinal data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. The sample (N = 8,440; 49% girls) included four cohorts of children who were followed biennially for 10 years, starting from age 4–11 to 14–21 years. Data were drawn at different years of age from these cohorts of children. Girls whose fathers were unemployed were more likely to experience early puberty than those whose fathers were employed. For boys, those living with fathers who had not finished secondary school were more likely to experience early puberty. Early maturing girls tended to engage in smoking and drinking at an earlier age compared with their peers. These findings provide support for psychosocial acceleration theory and suggest that different aspects of low family SES may act as a psychosocial stress for early pubertal maturation in boys versus girls, which may lead to engagement in drinking and smoking at a younger age, at least for girls.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adegoke, A. A. (1989). Parental socio-economic status and age of puberty: A study of selected Nigerian adolescents. The Nigerian Journal of Counselling and Development, 1, 82–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, T., & Magnusson, D. (1990). Biological maturation in adolescence and the development of drinking habits and alcohol use among young males: A prospective longitudinal study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 19, 33–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arim, R. G., Dahinten, V. S., Marshall, S. K., & Shapka, J. D. (2011). An examination of the reciprocal relationships between adolescents’ aggressive behaviors and their perceptions of parental nurturance. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40, 207–220. doi:10.1007/s10964-009-9493-x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arim, R. G., & Shapka, J. D. (2008). The impact of pubertal timing and parental control on adolescent problem behaviors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37, 445–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arim, R. G., Shapka, J. D., Dahinten, V. S., & Willms, J. D. (2007). Patterns and correlates of pubertal development in Canadian youth: Effects of family context. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 98, 91–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aro, H., & Taipale, V. (1987). The impact of timing of puberty on psychosomatic symptoms among fourteen- to sixteen-year old Finnish girls. Child Development, 58, 261–268.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ayatollahi, S. M. T., Dowlatabadi, E., & Ayatollahi, S. A. R. (1999). Age at menarche and its correlates in Shiraz, Southern Iran. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 24, 20–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., Steinberg, L., & Draper, P. (1991). Childhood experiences, interpersonal development, and reproductive strategy: An evolutionary theory of socialization. Child Development, 62, 647–670.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J., Steinberg, L. D., Houts, R. M., Friedman, S. L., Dehart, G., Cauffman, E., et al. (2007). Family rearing antecedents of pubertal timing. Child Development, 78, 1302–1321.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bond, L., Clements, J., Bertalli, N., Evans-Whipp, T., McMorris, B. J., Patton, G. C., et al. (2006). A comparison of self-reported puberty using the Pubertal Development Scale and the Sexual Maturation Scale in a school-based epidemiologic survey. Journal of Adolescence, 29, 709–720.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boothroyd, L. G., & Perrett, D. I. (2006). Facial and bodily correlates of family background. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 273, 2375–2380.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Canada, Statistics., & Canada, Human. Resources. Development. (1995). The national longitudinal survey of children and youth: New and improved documentation. Ottawa, ON: Minister of Industry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. E. (1991). Individual differences are accentuated during periods of social change: The sample case of girls at puberty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 157–168.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Celio, M., Karnik, N. S., & Steiner, H. (2006). Early maturation as a risk factor for aggression and delinquency in adolescent girls: A review. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 60, 1254–1262.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, D. M., & McKenzie, D. P. (1994). A caution on the use of cut-points applied to screening instruments or diagnostic criteria. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 28, 185–188.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, L., & Coleman, J. (2002). The measurement of puberty: A review. Journal of Adolescence, 25, 535–550.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Copeland, W., Shanahan, L., Miller, S., Costello, E. J., Angold, A., & Maughan, B. (2010). Outcomes of early pubertal timing in young women: A prospective population-based study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 167, 1218–1225.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crockett, L. J., Bingham, C. R., Chopak, J. S., & Vicary, J. R. (1996). Timing of first sexual intercourse: The role of social control, social learning, and problem behavior. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 25, 89–111.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deković, M., Buist, K. L., & Reitz, E. (2004). Stability and changes in problem behavior during adolescence: Latent growth analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33, 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dick, D. M., Rose, R. J., Pulkkinen, L., & Kaprio, J. (2001). Measuring puberty and understanding its impact: A longitudinal study of adolescent twins. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 30, 385–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dick, D. M., Rose, R. J., Viken, R. J., & Kaprio, J. (2000). Pubertal timing and substance use: Associations between and within families across late adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 36, 180–189.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dorn, L. D., Dahl, R. E., Woodward, H. R., & Biro, F. (2006). Defining the boundaries of early adolescence: A user’s guide to assessing pubertal status and pubertal timing in research with adolescents. Applied Developmental Science, 10, 30–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorn, L. D., Susman, E. J., & Ponirakis, A. (2003). Pubertal timing and adolescent adjustment and behavior: Conclusions vary by rater. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32, 157–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dubas, J. S., Graber, J. A., & Petersen, A. C. (1991). The effects of pubertal development on achievement during adolescence. American Journal of Education, 99, 444–460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duke, P. M., Litt, I. F., & Gross, R. T. (1980). Adolescents’ self-assessment of sexual maturation. Pediatrics, 66, 918–920.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, P. D., Ritter, P. L., Dornbusch, S. M., Gross, R. T., & Carlsmith, J. M. (1985). The effects of pubertal timing on body image, school behavior, and deviance. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 14, 227–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eaves, L., Silberg, J., Foley, D., Bulik, C., Maes, H., Erkanli, A., et al. (2004). Genetic and environmental influences on the relative timing of pubertal change. Twin Research, 7, 471–481.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J. (2004). Timing of pubertal maturation in girls: An integrated life history approach. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 920–958.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., & Essex, M. J. (2007). Family environments, adrenarche, and sexual maturation: A longitudinal test of a life history model. Child Development, 78, 1799–1817.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., & Garber, J. (2000). Psychosocial antecedents of variation in girls’ pubertal timing: Maternal depression, stepfather presence, and marital and family stress. Child Development, 71, 485–501.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B. J., McFadyen-Ketchum, S., Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., & Bates, J. E. (1999). Quality of early family relationships and individual differences in the timing of pubertal maturation in girls: A longitudinal test of an evolutionary model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 387–401.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fechner, P. Y. (2003). The biology of puberty: New developments in sex differences. In C. Hayward (Ed.), Gender differences at puberty (pp. 17–28). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Flannery, D. J., Rowe, D. C., & Gulley, B. L. (1993). Impact of pubertal status, timing, and age on adolescent sexual experience and delinquency. Journal of Adolescent Research, 8, 21–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ge, X., Brody, G. H., Conger, R. D., & Simons, R. L. (2006). Pubertal transition and African American children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 531–540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ge, X., & Natsuaki, M. N. (2009). In search of explanations for early pubertal timing effects on developmental psychopathology. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 327–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graber, J. A., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Warren, M. P. (1995). The antecedents of menarcheal age: Heredity, family environment, and stressful life events. Child Development, 66, 346–359.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graber, J. A., Lewinsohn, P. M., Seeley, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1997). Is psychopathology associated with the timing of pubertal development? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1768–1776.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graber, J. A., Nichols, T. R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Putting pubertal timing in developmental context: Implications for prevention. Developmental Psychobiology, 52, 254–262.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graber, J. A., Petersen, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1996). Pubertal processes: Methods, measures, and models. In J. A. Graber, J. Brooks-Gunn, & A. Petersen (eds.), Transitions through adolescence: Interpersonal domains and context (pp. 23–53). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

  • Graber, J. A., Seeley, J. R., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Lewinsohn, P. M. (2004). Is pubertal timing associated with psychopathology in young adulthood? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43, 718–726.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, B., Biro, F. M., & Dorn, L. D. (2009). Determination of relative timing of pubertal maturation through ordinal logistic modeling: Evaluation of growth and timing parameters. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 383–388.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hulanicka, B., Gronkiewicz, L., & Koniarek, J. (2001). Effect of familial distress on growth and maturation of girls: A longitudinal study. American Journal of Human Biology, 13, 771–776.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K., & Smith, P. K. (1998). Retrospective survey of parental marital relations and child reproductive development. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 22, 729–751.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K., & Smith, P. K. (1999). Family relations in early childhood and reproductive development. Journal of Reproductive Infant Psychology, 17, 133–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraemer, H. C., Kazdin, A. E., Offord, D. R., Kessler, R. C., Jensen, P. S., & Kupfer, D. J. (1997). Coming to terms with the terms of risk. Archives of General Psychiatry, 54, 337–343.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lam, T. H., Shi, H. J., Ho, L. M., Stewart, S. M., & Fan, S. (2002). Timing of pubertal maturation and heterosexual behavior among Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31, 359–366.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynne, S. D., Graber, J. A., Nichols, T. R., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Botvin, G. J. (2007). Links between pubertal timing, peer influences, and externalizing behaviors among urban students followed through middle school. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40, 181e.7–181e.13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lynne-Landsman, S. D., Graber, J. A., & Andrews, J. A. (2010). Do trajectories of household risk in childhood moderate pubertal timing effects on substance initiation in middle school? Developmental Psychology, 46, 853–868.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W. (1988). Self-Description Questionnaire-I: Manual and research monograph. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meschke, L. L., Johnson, P. J., Barber, B. L., & Eccles, J. S. (2003). Psychosocial factors predicting pubertal onset. In C. Hayward (Ed.), Gender differences at puberty (pp. 217–238). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Neugarten, B. L. (1979). Time, age, and life-cycle. American Journal of Psychiatry, 136, 887–894.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen, A. C., Crockett, L., Richards, M., & Boxer, A. (1988). A self-report measure of pubertal status: Reliability, validity and initial norms. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 17, 117–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qamra, S. R., Mehta, S., & Deodhar, S. D. (1991). A mixed-longitudinal study on the pattern of pubertal growth: Relationship to socioeconomic status and caloric-intake-IV. Indian Pediatrics, 28, 147–156.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raudenbush, S. W., Bryk, A. S., Cheong, Y. F., & Congdon, R. T. (2005). HLM 6: Hierarchical linear and nonlinear modeling. Lincolnwood: Scientific Software International, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shirtcliff, E. A., Dahl, R. E., & Pollak, S. D. (2009). Pubertal development: Correspondence between hormonal and physical development. Child Development, 80, 327–337.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, J. M., Yancey, A. K., Aneshensel, C. S., & Schuler, R. (1999). Body image, perceived pubertal timing, and adolescent mental health. Journal of Adolescent Health, 25, 155–165.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silbereisen, R. K., & Kracke, B. (1993). Variation in maturational timing and adjustment in adolescence. In S. Jackson & H. Rodriguez-Tome (Eds.), Adolescence and its social worlds (pp. 67–94). Hove, UK: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simmons, R. G., & Blyth, D. A. (1987). Moving into adolescence: The impact of pubertal change and school context. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistics Canada, & Human Resources Development Canada. (1997). The national longitudinal survey of children and youth: Cycle 2 Codebook. Ottawa, ON: Minister of Industry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stattin, H., & Magnusson, D. (1990). Pubertal maturation in female development (Vol. 2). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Susman, E. J., Houts, R. M., Steinberg, L., Belsky, J., Cauffman, E., et al. (2010). Longitudinal development of secondary sexual characteristics in girls and boys between ages 91/2 and 151/2 years. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 164, 166–173.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Susman, E. J., & Rogol, A. (2004). Puberty and psychological development. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (2nd ed., pp. 15–44). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tobin-Richards, M. H., Boxer, A. M., & Petersen, A. C. (1983). The psychological significance of pubertal change. Sex differences in perceptions of self during early adolescence. In J. Brooks-Gunn & A. C. Petersen (Eds.), Girls at puberty: Biological and psychosocial perspectives (pp. 127–154). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tramonte, L., & Willms, J. D. (2009). Research note on the estimation of age of puberty. Unpublished report. Ottawa, ON: Human Resources and Social Development Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tremblay, L., & Frigon, J. Y. (2005). Precocious puberty in adolescent girls: A biomarker of later psychosocial adjustment problems. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 36, 73–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wichstrom, L. (2001). The impact of pubertal timing on adolescents’ alcohol use. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 11, 131–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiesner, M., & Ittel, A. (2002). Relations of pubertal timing and depressive symptoms to substance use in early adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence, 22, 5–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J. M., & Currie, C. (2000). Self-esteem and physical development in early adolescence: Pubertal timing and body image. Journal of Early Adolescence, 20, 129–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J. M., & Dunlop, L. C. (1999). Pubertal timing and self-reported delinquency among male adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 22, 157–171.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, D. M., Killen, J. D., Hayward, C., Robinson, T. N., Hammer, L. D., Kraemer, H. C., et al. (1994). Timing and rate of sexual maturation and the onset of cigarette and alcohol use among teenage girls. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 148, 789–795.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study has been conducted as part of the project, Successful Transitions, funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). The authors are grateful to the staff at HRSDC for their comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript and the staff at the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy (CRISP) at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) and the UNB-CRISP Research Data Centre for providing the infra-structure to conduct the analyses.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Rübab G. Arım

  2. Department of Sociology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada

    Lucia Tramonte

  3. Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Jennifer D. Shapka

  4. School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    V. Susan Dahinten

  5. Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada

    J. Douglas Willms

Authors
  1. Rübab G. Arım
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lucia Tramonte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jennifer D. Shapka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. V. Susan Dahinten
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J. Douglas Willms
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rübab G. Arım.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Arım, R.G., Tramonte, L., Shapka, J.D. et al. The Family Antecedents and the Subsequent Outcomes of Early Puberty. J Youth Adolescence 40, 1423–1435 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9638-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9638-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation