Reliability of pubertal self assessment method: an Iranian study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Adolescent Health
• Medical Questionnaire Validation

Background:

• Accurate assessment of pubertal development is crucial in pediatric endocrinology.
• Tanner stages are a standard method for evaluating pubertal progression.
• Self-assessment tools can potentially aid in screening and monitoring, but their validity requires rigorous testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity of a Persian version of the Tanner Stages Self-Assessment Questionnaire.
• To compare self-reported pubertal development with physician assessments in male adolescents.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 190 male students aged 8-16 years in Tehran.
• Participants completed a Persian questionnaire with illustrated Tanner stages for genital development and pubic hair distribution.
• Self-assessments were compared to physical examinations conducted by an independent physician using weighted kappa statistics.

Main Results:

• Substantial agreement was found between self-assessment and physician assessment for genital development (kappa=0.63) and pubic hair distribution (kappa=0.74).
• High accuracy in self-assessment was observed in later pubertal stages (G4 and G5).
• Some disagreement was noted in the Tanner stage G3, indicating potential limitations in mid-pubertal self-reporting.

Conclusions:

• The Persian Tanner Stages Self-Assessment Questionnaire demonstrates substantial validity for assessing pubertal development in male adolescents.
• Self-assessment should be used cautiously and is not a substitute for routine clinical evaluation, particularly for early and mid-pubertal individuals.
• Further research may be needed to refine self-assessment tools for specific pubertal groups.