Association between Dietary Patterns and Precocious Puberty in Children: A Population-Based Study.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics and Child Health
• Nutritional Science
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Precocious puberty is a condition where puberty begins earlier than expected.
• Dietary habits are increasingly recognized as potential environmental factors influencing pubertal timing.
• Understanding the link between diet and precocious puberty is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between different dietary patterns and the occurrence of precocious puberty in children residing in Shanghai.
• To identify specific dietary habits that may contribute to or protect against early pubertal development.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving Shanghai children, utilizing multistage stratified cluster random sampling.
• Dietary patterns were assessed using a simplified food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).
• Precocious puberty was diagnosed based on height, weight, Tanner staging, and testicular volume measurements, with logistic regression used for analysis.

Main Results:

• Three dietary patterns were identified: "traditional diet," "unhealthy diet," and "protein diet."
• The "unhealthy diet" pattern showed a significant positive association with precocious puberty in both boys and girls.
• This association remained significant for girls after adjusting for age and BMI, but lost statistical significance after further adjustment for socioeconomic factors.

Conclusions:

• Dietary patterns are associated with precocious puberty in Shanghai children.
• An "unhealthy diet" pattern is a potential risk factor for precocious puberty, particularly in girls.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the role of socioeconomic factors in this relationship.