Physical maturation: A study of secondary school children in fife

Abstract

An account is given of a survey of physical maturation in schoolchildren born in 1949 in Fife. The survey was carried out as part of the routine school medical examinations. The results of the survey compared with earlier work in other areas show no significant change during the past 10 years. The value of surveys of axillary hair in boys as a sign of adolescence is discussed. Though half the girls were prepared for the menarche by their mothers, the proportion of girls ignorant of the physiology of menstruation is high and suggests that simple instruction could be included in “mothercraft” lessons given at an early stage of the secondary school course, or even in primary schools. There is a need for “hygiene” facilities for girls in large primary schools.