Age at spermarche: 15‐year trend and its association with body mass index in Chinese school‐aged boys. Issue 5 (25th September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Song, Y.; Ma, J.; Wang, H.‐J.; Wang, Z.; Lau, P. W. C.; Agardh, A.
• Is Part Of: Pediatric obesity. Volume 11:Issue 5(2016:Oct.)
• Page Start: 369
• Page End: 374
• Publication Date: 2015-09-25
• Subjects: body mass index -- puberty -- spermarche; Obesity in children -- Periodicals; Obesity in adolescence -- Periodicals; Obesity -- Periodicals; Overweight children -- Periodicals; 618.92398
• DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12073
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1747-7174

Abstract

Summary: Background: Little is known about the secular trends in age at spermarche among boys, and the association between body mass index (BMI) and male puberty is controversial. Objective: This study aimed to estimate the trend in age at spermarche in China and explore the association of spermarche with BMI. Methods: We used four cross‐sectional Chinese National Surveys on Students' Constitution and Health (CNSSCH; 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010). Median age at spermarche was determined using probit analysis. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of spermarche with BMI. Results: Age at spermarche among Chinese boys dropped from 14.57 to 14.03 years from 1995 to 2010 with a decrease of 4.3 months per decade. Boys with BMI‐for‐age z ‐score lower than −2 had the latest age at spermarche. A higher BMI or BMI‐for‐age z ‐score was associated with an increased likelihood of having reached spermarche, and this association was consistently observed at all survey points. Conclusion: This study provides important evidence of a secular trend of earlier age at spermarche over the past 15 years in China, and this decrease was accompanied by a simultaneous increase in BMI. Strategies and interventions focusing on thinness may promote both their nutritional status and puberty development among Chinese boys.