[Applicability of self-rated pubertal development scale among urban Chinese adolescents]

To explore the applicability of pubertal development scale in estimating sexual maturation among urban Chinese adolescents.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2562 students of 4(th) to 12(th) grade in Shanghai, selected by stratified cluster sampling method. Self-reported pubertal maturation level was obtained by Pubertal Development Scale (PDS). Meanwhile, visual depiction of Tanner stages of breast, genital and pubic hair development were rated by a trained rater of the same gender.

In 2562 students, the correlation between self-reported PDS and assessment from the raters were substantial, both in boys and girls (Pearson's correlation coefficients: 0.822 and 0.814, respectively). The overall agreement of pubertal development stages based on PDS and the rater's assessment were 35.24% and 51.42% for boys and girls, respectively, with Kendall's correlation coefficients as 0.713 and 0.685, respectively. Adolescents who were older, had relatively higher level of pubertal stages or adolescents from the richer families, tended to underestimate their actual level of pubertal maturation while those male subjects and overweight or obese subjects were even more likely to be so.

Using the self-reported PDS, we could conveniently obtain the necessary information regarding sexual maturation among the urban adolescents. It seemed especially useful in the related epidemiological survey when physical examination was precluded by cost, privacy and other concerns.