Obesity is a risk factor for central precocious puberty: a case-control study.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Public Health
• Childhood Obesity Research

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a known contributor to central precocious puberty (CPP).
• Previous studies on CPP diagnosis lacked robust hormonal confirmation and relied on less precise methods.
• This study addresses limitations by investigating the link between overweight/obesity and hormonally diagnosed CPP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if childhood overweight and obesity are associated with an increased incidence of hormonally diagnosed central precocious puberty (CPP).
• To analyze the impact of overweight/obesity duration on CPP risk in children.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case-control study involving 846 children with CPP and 1650 healthy controls.
• Data collected via electronic medical records and outpatient questionnaires.
• Unconditional logistic regression used to assess the association between overweight/obesity status, duration, and CPP.

Main Results:

• Overweight and obesity significantly increased CPP odds in girls, even after adjusting for confounding factors (aORs 1.92 and 1.78, respectively).
• The association between overweight/obesity and CPP in girls was significant for durations of 1-3+ years.
• Obesity was also linked to increased CPP odds in boys (aOR 1.68), with significance observed for durations exceeding 2 years.

Conclusions:

• Prolonged overweight and obesity in early childhood are identified as risk factors for central precocious puberty (CPP), particularly in girls.
• Weight loss interventions may play a crucial role in preventing precocious puberty in at-risk children.