Study on precocious puberty prevalance, etiology and sociodemographic characteristics in düzce province elemantary school students

Objective:In this study, it is aimed to detect precocious puberty prevalance together with etiologic distribution and to observe sociodemographic characteristics of the children by screening elemantary schools in the central district of Düzce province.Method:The study has been undertaken in the elemantary schools located in the city centre of the central district of Düzce province. The schools have been classified according to their socioeconomic levels and divided into three groups similar in terms of student numbers. The pubertal stage has been evaluated through Tanner method by conducting antropometric measurements and puberty examinations of girls below 8 years old and boys below 9 years. The testes volumes are measured by orchidometer. The children with precocious puberty diagnosis are directed to Düzce University Medicine Faculty Pediatric Endocrinology Division for inspection. In detailed observation, the etiologics are investigated by evaluating weight, height and BMI values, puberty stage, bone age evaluation, basic and gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulated gonadotrophin levels, pelvic ultrasonoghraphy and pituitary MRI findings. In addition, a questionnaire applied to all students participating to the study in order to evaluate sociodemographic characteristics affecting puberty.Findings: In our study made through 2183 children comprised of 786 girls below 8 years of age and 1397 boys below 9 years of age, precocious puberty has been detected in 30 children and precocious puberty prelevance has been found as 1.37%. It has been observed that, the frequency of precocious puberty in girls is approximately 2 times compared to boys (boys 1.0%, girls 2.03%).Looking at the etiological distribution of children with precocious puberty, it has been detected true precocious puberty in 20 children, premature pubarche in 5 children, thelarche variant in 1 child, premature thelarche in 2 children, early puberty in 1 child and nonclassic congenital adrenal hyperplasia in 1 child.It has been observed that, the height, body weight and BMI averages of 30 children with precocious puberty findings are ahead of 2153 children without precocious puberty diagnosis in both genders.Result: In our study, puberte prevalance has been detected higher compared to literature datas.Precocious puberty may either not be noticed or be lately noticed by the parents. With this study, we believe that school screenings are important for the health of the society in terms of early diagnosis and treatment of precocious puberty.Key Words:Precocious puberty, puberty prevalance, school screening, socioeconomic level, child, Düzce