Validation of Maturity Offset in the Fels Longitudinal Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric endocrinology
• Human growth and development
• Sports science

Background:

• Accurate prediction of peak height velocity (PHV) is crucial for understanding adolescent growth and for talent identification in sports.
• Maturity offset, the time before or after PHV, is a key indicator of developmental timing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of sex-specific equations for predicting maturity offset and age at PHV in a longitudinal cohort.
• To determine the utility of these predictions for assessing maturity timing in adolescents.

Main Methods:

• Utilized serial measurements of height, sitting height, weight, and estimated leg length from 8 to 18 years in 63 girls and 74 boys (Fels Longitudinal Study).
• Calculated predicted age at PHV using chronological age (CA) and maturity offset equations.
• Determined actual age at PHV using a triple logistic model (Bock-Thissen-du Toit).

Main Results:

• Predicted maturity offset increased linearly with chronological age.
• Predicted age at PHV showed linear increases with CA in girls (8-18 years) and boys (8-13 years), with predictions varying significantly.
• Significant differences were found between predicted and actual ages at PHV across the age range for both sexes, particularly in youth with contrasting maturity statuses.

Conclusions:

• Sex-specific equations for maturity offset have limited utility for accurately predicting age at PHV.
• The dependence of predicted age at PHV on chronological age at prediction and actual PHV limits its application in maturity timing assessments and youth sports talent programs.