PUBLIC HEALTH: Growing Up Too Fast

Abstract: 

Public Health's Julianna Deardorff looks at why girls are beginning puberty earlier than ever before and how this impacts long-term well-being.

Historically, the age at which girls begin puberty has edged younger and younger, but in the last century, the age of pubertal onset has dropped precipitously. This downward trend is troubling because early puberty among girls is linked with poor health outcomes, both during adolescence and later in life.

Author: 
Rose Kagawa
Publication date: 
August 21, 2014
Publication type: 
Berkeley Review of Latin American Studies Article