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Assessing biological maturity: chronological age and the pubertal development scale predict free testosterone in adolescent males

  • Elizabeth E. Hibberd EMAIL logo , Anthony C. Hackney , Amy R. Lane and Joseph B. Myers
Published/Copyright: October 18, 2014
Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
From the journal Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism Volume 28 Issue 3-4

Abstract

Background: Pubertal development status has implications for development of physical characteristics, performance, and injury risk in school-aged athletes.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of non-invasive measures of biological maturity to predict salivary free testosterone.

Participants: A total of 61 physically active males (ages 6–16) participated in this study.

Methods: Participants had their anthropometrics measured, completed the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS), and reported their birthdays and the heights of their biological parents. Exact chronological age and percent of predicted height were calculated. Resting salivary samples were collected and assessed for free testosterone levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedures. Variables were entered into a stepwise linear regression to predict free testosterone.

Results: The regression model was statistically significant (R2=0.716, F2,61=74.2, p<0.005) with chronological age (β=0.66, t60=7.587, p<0.005) and PDS (β=0.26, t60=3.02, p=0.004) remaining as significant predictors of free testosterone.

Conclusions: Chronological age and PDS adequately predict salivary free testosterone levels in school-aged males and may be an appropriate tool to evaluate physical maturity in school-aged males quickly, cheaply, and accurately.

Keywords: adolescence; field assessment; pubertal development
Corresponding author: Elizabeth E. Hibberd, PhD, ATC, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Science, The University of Alabama, 479 Russell Hall, Box 870311, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0311, USA, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Jacob Allen for his help in processing the salivary samples.

Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Received: 2014-5-7
Accepted: 2014-9-22
Published Online: 2014-10-18
Published in Print: 2015-3-1

©2015 by De Gruyter

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  1. Frontmatter
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  3. Diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents – a global epidemic which has become neglected
  4. Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY): an update
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  10. Resistin and right ventricular function in children with recently diagnosed type-1 diabetes mellitus: a case control study
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  33. Patient reports
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  36. Three cases of Wolfram syndrome with different clinical aspects
  37. L-asparaginase induced hypoglycemia in a case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a patient report
  38. Pyogenic granuloma, an unusual presentation of peripubertal vaginal bleeding. Case report and review of the literature
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https://doi.org/10.1515/jpem-2014-0187
Keywords for this article
adolescence; field assessment; pubertal development

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Highlight: Diabetes
  3. Diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents – a global epidemic which has become neglected
  4. Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY): an update
  5. Relationship of plasma level of chemerin and vaspin to early atherosclerotic changes and cardiac autonomic neuropathy in adolescent type 1 diabetic patients
  6. How does autoimmune thyroiditis in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus influence glycemic control, lipid profile and thyroid volume?
  7. Profile of mood states in adult type 1 diabetes mellitus men and women with disease onset in childhood and in adulthood
  8. Evaluation of fetuin-A and carotid intima-media thickness in adolescent type 1 diabetic patients
  9. An increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in Romanian children aged 0 to 17 years
  10. Resistin and right ventricular function in children with recently diagnosed type-1 diabetes mellitus: a case control study
  11. Assessment of human cartilage glycoprotein 39 (YKL-40), preptin, and nitric oxide in adolescent patients with type 1 diabetes and its relation to cardiorenal affection
  12. The effect of a home-based strength training program on type 2 diabetes risk in obese Latino boys
  13. From cerebral salt wasting to diabetes insipidus with adipsia: case report of a child with craniopharyngioma
  14. Three years of liraglutide treatment offers continuously optimal glycemic control in a pediatric patient with maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 3
  15. Diabetic euglycemic ketoacidosis in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus during Ramadan fasting
  16. Transient neonatal hyperinsulinism with adaptation disorders: a report of three cases
  17. Acute mononeuropathy in a child with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus
  18. Alternating hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in a toddler with a homozygous p.R1419H ABCC8 mutation: an unusual clinical picture
  19. Cognitive functioning, metabolic control, and treatment type in youth with type 1 diabetes
  20. Images in pediatric endocrinology
  21. Benefit of testosterone in pediatric genital trauma
  22. Original articles
  23. Attenuated salivary cortisol response after exercise test in children with asthma
  24. Reliability of pubertal maturation self-assessment in a school-based survey
  25. Detection of inborn errors of metabolism using GC-MS: over 3 years of experience in southern China
  26. Assessing biological maturity: chronological age and the pubertal development scale predict free testosterone in adolescent males
  27. Evaluation of puberty by verifying spontaneous and stimulated gonadotropin values in girls
  28. Longitudinal changes in C-reactive protein, proform of eosinophil major basic protein, and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A during weight changes in obese children
  29. Caries in adolescents in relation to their skeletal status
  30. Endothelial and metabolic disorders in adolescence: low birth weight is not an isolated risk factor
  31. Comparison of cortisol samples in the first two weeks of life in preterm infants
  32. Mutations in BTD gene causing biotinidase deficiency: a regional report
  33. Patient reports
  34. Late-onset hypercalcemia in Williams-Beuren syndrome: importance of early and frequent screening and intervention
  35. Hepatoblastoma presenting as precocious puberty: a case report
  36. Three cases of Wolfram syndrome with different clinical aspects
  37. L-asparaginase induced hypoglycemia in a case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a patient report
  38. Pyogenic granuloma, an unusual presentation of peripubertal vaginal bleeding. Case report and review of the literature
  39. Octreotide-associated cholestasis and hepatitis in an infant with congenital hyperinsulinism
  40. Two novel mutations in the homogentisate-1,2-dioxygenase gene identified in Chinese Han Child with Alkaptonuria
  41. Pituitary abscess in an adolescent girl: a case report and review of the literature
  42. Neonatal thyrotoxicosis with severe supraventricular tachycardia: case report and review of the literature
  43. Consumptive hypothyroidism associated with parotid infantile hemangioma
  44. Novel mutations in the SLC25A13 gene in a patient with NICCD and severe manifestations
  45. Short communications
  46. Tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency among Serbian patients presenting with hyperphenylalaninemia
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