About the research
Full project title: Review of methods for determining pubertal status
Measuring the stage at which young people experience puberty is valuable in the assessment of various health outcomes in adolescents, especially as the hormonal changes associated with puberty can impact on both physical and mental wellbeing. This research project identified and assessed measures used to determine pubertal status, identifying similarities among methods that would allow for harmonisation across cohort datasets.
It also consulted a children’s patient and public involvement (PPI) committee to assess the acceptability of various approaches to measuring pubertal status, and identify what young people might consider as barriers to using these assessments. A report has been published to help researchers assess the validity of measures used to determine pubertal status in cohort and other studies around the world.
Research leads
Professor Hazel Inskip
Professor Janis Baird
Janis Baird & Hazel Inskip (MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton)
Studies used
30 studies from around the world that assessed the validity of methods of assessing pubertal status
Research outputs
CLOSER resource report
- Review of methods for determining pubertal status and age of onset of puberty in cohort and longitudinal studies
Paper
- Walker IV, Smith CR, Davies JH, Inskip HM. Methods for determining pubertal status in research studies: literature review and opinions of experts and adolescents. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. 2019;11(2). https://doi.org/10.1017/S2040174419000254
Read about other CLOSER data harmonisation projects.