Childhood Sexual Abuse and Early Timing of Puberty

Jennie G Noll; Penelope K Trickett; Jeffrey D Long; Sonya Negriff; Elizabeth J Susman; Idan Shalev; Jacinda C Li; Frank W Putnam

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.09.008

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Childhood Sexual Abuse and Early Timing of Puberty

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Early Timing of Puberty

Jennie G Noll, Penelope K Trickett, Jeffrey D Long, Sonya Negriff, Elizabeth J Susman, Idan Shalev, Jacinda C Li and Frank W Putnam

Journal of adolescent health, Vol.60(1), pp.65-71

01/2017

DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.09.008

PMID: 27836531

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Abstract

The purpose was to examine whether the timing of puberty, indexed by breast development and pubic hair development, was earlier for sexually abused females compared with a matched comparison group of nonabused females, controlling for key alternative confounds. A cohort of sexually abused females and matched comparisons was followed longitudinally at mean ages 11 through 20 years. Sexually abused participants (N = 84) were referred by protective services. Comparison participants (N = 89) were recruited to be comparable in terms of age, ethnicity, income level, family constellation, zip codes, and nonsexual trauma histories. Stage of puberty was indexed at each assessment by nurse and participant ratings of breast and pubic hair development using Tanner staging-the gold standard for assessing pubertal onset and development. Cumulative logit mixed models were used to estimate the association between sexual abuse status and the likelihood of transitioning from earlier to later Tanner stage categories controlling for covariates and potential confounds. Sexual abuse was associated with earlier pubertal onset: 8 months earlier for breasts (odds ratio: 3.06, 95% CI: 1.11-8.49) and 12 months earlier for pubic hair (odds ratio: 3.49, 95% CI: 1.34-9.12). Alternative explanations including ethnicity, obesity, and biological father absence did not eradicate these findings. This study confirms an association between exposure to childhood sexual abuse and earlier pubertal onset. Results highlight the possibility that, due to this early onset, sexual abuse survivors may be at increased risk for psychosocial difficulties, menstrual and fertility problems, and even reproductive cancers due to prolonged exposure to sex hormones.

Adolescent

Adult

Child

Cohort Studies

District of Columbia

Female

Humans

Longitudinal Studies

Male

Puberty

Sex Offenses

Time

Young Adult

Details

Title: Subtitle: Childhood Sexual Abuse and Early Timing of Puberty
Creators: Jennie G Noll - Pennsylvania State University
Penelope K Trickett - University of Southern California
Jeffrey D Long - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
Sonya Negriff - University of Southern California
Elizabeth J Susman - Pennsylvania State University
Idan Shalev - Pennsylvania State University
Jacinda C Li - Pennsylvania State University
Frank W Putnam - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of adolescent health, Vol.60(1), pp.65-71
DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.09.008
PMID: 27836531
NLM abbreviation: J Adolesc Health
ISSN: 1054-139X
eISSN: 1879-1972
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000025, name: National Institute of Mental Health, award: MH48330, MH01284; DOI: 10.13039/100000071, name: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, award: HD41402, HD045346, HD060604; name: National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, award: 90-CA-1549, 90-CA-1686; name: W. T. Grant Foundation; DOI: 10.13039/100001314, name: Smith Richardson Foundation; DOI: 10.13039/100000925, name: John Templeton Foundation, award: ID5119
Language: English
Date published: 01/2017
Academic Unit: Psychiatry; Biostatistics
Record Identifier: 9984280839102771

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