Understanding puberty and its measurement: Ideas for a maturing field

Abstract

Puberty is a complex developmental process involving neuroendocrine changes (e.g., hormones, brain development), physical maturity (e.g., breast development, facial hair growth), and social reorganization (e.g., new social roles and relationships). Despite robust literature on the psychological correlates of pubertal development, research is limited by (1) a narrow conceptualization of puberty, (2) a focus on single pubertal markers (e.g., onset), and (3) invasive clinical exams that may limit access to representative samples. Indeed, many aspects of pubertal development - when it begins, how quickly or slowly youth progress through puberty, and how one’s maturity is viewed by others - are central to young people’s development and their future health and wellbeing. Further, while pubertal measures can reflect many different aspects of puberty, each telling a distinct story about development, they are frequently used and understood in similar ways, often privileging the experiences of White youth (and especially, girls) over those with marginalized social identities.The goals of this symposium are to bring together three researchers who will discuss the conceptualization and measurement of puberty as well as the implications of different measurement approaches for understanding youth’s current and future health and wellbeing. In the first presentation, Niamh MacSweeney will present data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study demonstrating the sex-specific association of adrenal and gonadal pubertal timing with brain development and subsequently, depression over four years. In the second presentation, Natasha Chaku will use data from the Study of Early Childcare and Youth Development (SECCYD) to explore how different measures (i.e., Tanner stages vs. parent reports) and analytic approaches (i.e., latent growth curves vs. sex and age-related residuals) for understanding pubertal timing can impact inferences related to adolescent mental health. In the final presentation, Anne-Lise Goddings will review the state of current pubertal assessment measures, discussing limitations identified from youth, clinicians, and researchers and the development of a novel digital tool, co-developed with young people. The discussant, Lindsay Till Hoyt, will integrate the findings, highlighting the importance of considering the accuracy and meaning of different pubertal measures and how they relate to the biopsychosocial experiences of diverse youth.