Indicators of Biological Maturation and Secular Changes in Biological Maturation

Commonly used indicators of biological maturation are discussed, including sexual, skeletal, morphological, and dental maturity, and the hypothalamus–pituitary–end organ axes that regulate the growth and maturation processes. Interrelationships among indicators and the tempo, timing, and sequence of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Food and nutrition bulletin 2006-12, Vol.27 (4_suppl5), p.S244-S256
Main Authors: Beunen, Gaston P., Rogol, Alan D., Malina, Robert M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Development - physiology
Child
Child Development - physiology
Environment
Ethnic Groups
Female
Growth - physiology
Health Status
Humans
Male
Nutritional Status
Puberty - physiology
Reference Standards
Reference Values
Sexual Maturation - physiology
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Summary:Commonly used indicators of biological maturation are discussed, including sexual, skeletal, morphological, and dental maturity, and the hypothalamus–pituitary–end organ axes that regulate the growth and maturation processes. Interrelationships among indicators and the tempo, timing, and sequence of maturational events are also considered. Environmental factors that influence the level of maturity at a given point in time and the process of maturation are also discussed: undernutrition, obesity, ethnic/racial background, social class, familial characteristics, climate, and altitude. Recommendations for the design of studies of maturational events are made, and an overview of secular changes before and after 1970 is provided. The review concludes with specific recommendations for the inclusion of a maturity indicator or maturity indicators in the construction of an international growth standard for preadolescent and adolescent children
ISSN:1564-8265
0379-5721
1564-8265
DOI:10.1177/15648265060274S508