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Association between precocious puberty and obesity risk in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Yongfu Song1, Yibu Kong1, Xiaofei Xie1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Affiliated to Changchun Traditional Chinese Medicine University, Changchun, China.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|August 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Early puberty increases obesity risk in girls but not boys. This meta-analysis highlights precocious puberty as a significant risk factor for obesity in females, emphasizing the need for early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Public Health
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Early onset puberty (precocious puberty) is a condition where pubertal development begins earlier than average.
  • The relationship between precocious puberty and obesity risk, particularly in different sexes, requires further investigation.
  • Understanding this association is crucial for early detection and management of childhood obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the potential association between early onset puberty and the risk of various forms of obesity in children.
  • To differentiate the risk in girls versus boys.
  • To provide evidence for considering precocious puberty as an independent risk factor for obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library.
  • Meta-analysis of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for obesity in precocious puberty.
  • Use of fixed-effects or random-effects models based on heterogeneity (P > 0.1 and I² ≤ 50%), with publication bias assessed via funnel plots and Egger's test.

Main Results:

  • Precocious puberty in girls showed a significant association with higher overall obesity risk (OR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.76-2.24).
  • Girls with precocious puberty had increased risks of general obesity (OR = 2.03), central obesity (OR = 1.96), and overweight (OR = 2.03).
  • Precocious puberty in boys was not associated with an increased risk of general obesity, central obesity, or overweight.

Conclusions:

  • Early onset puberty in girls is linked to a significantly increased risk of obesity.
  • Precocious puberty in boys does not appear to be associated with an elevated risk of obesity.
  • Precocious puberty should be recognized as an independent risk factor for obesity in girls, warranting clinical attention.
Abstract

Keywords:
central obesitygeneral obesitymeta-analysisoverweightprecocious puberty

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