Chinese Girls Research Articles

Compliments on skin tone hamper cognitive performance of Chinese adolescent girls with stronger appearance contingent self-worth

Compliments on skin tone hamper cognitive performance of Chinese adolescent girls with stronger appearance contingent self-worth

Prospective association of dietary soy and fibre intake with puberty timing: a cohort study among Chinese children

sBackgroundDietary phytoestrogens have been suggested to influence puberty timing, a critical stage for well-being in adulthood. We hypothesized that childhood soy intake might prospectively influence puberty timing and that dietary fibre and the key isoflavone metabolite equol might play roles.MethodsCox proportional hazard regression models were performed in 4781 children (2152 girls and 2629 boys) aged 6–8 years old from the Chinese Adolescent Cohort Study for whom a food frequency questionnaire at baseline and information about potential confounders were available. Anthropometry and pubertal status including age at Tanner stage 2 for breast development (B2) or age at the initiation of gonadal growth (G2), and age at menarche (M) or voice break (VB) were assessed annually. Equol excretion was determined by urine samples from 1311 participants.ResultsAmong girls and boys, higher soy intake was associated with later puberty timing (hazard ratio (HR)-B2: 0.88 (95% CI, 0.80–0.96), p=0.02; HR-M, 0.87 (0.77–0.94), p=0.01; HR-G2, 0.91 (0.82–0.98), p=0.013; HR-VB, 0.90 (0.82–0.9), p=0.02), independent of prepubertal body fatness and fibre intake. These associations were more pronounced among children with a high urinary equol level (pfor-interaction ≤ 0.04) or with a high cereal fibre intake (pfor-interaction ≤ 0.06). Intake of dietary fibre or its subtype was not prospectively associated with puberty onset after adjusting for dietary soy intake (p≥0.06).ConclusionHigher childhood soy intake is prospectively associated with later puberty timing in both Chinese girls and boys, independent of prepubertal body fatness, and the association is particularly pronounced among individuals with a higher urinary equol level.

Relationship between body mass index and sexual development in Chinese children

Objective: To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sexual development in Chinese children. Methods: A nationwide multicenter and population-based large cross-sectional study was conducted in 13 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China from January 2017 to December 2018. Data on sex, age, height, weight were collected, BMI was calculated and sexual characteristics were analyzed. The subjects were divided into four groups based on age, including ages 3-<6 years, 6-<10 years, 10-<15 years and 15-<18 years. Multiple Logistic regression models were used for evaluating the associations of BMI with sexual development in children. Dichotomous Logistic regression was used to compare the differences in the distribution of early and non-early puberty among normal weight, overweight and obese groups. Curves were drawn to analyze the relationship between the percentage of early puberty and BMI distribution in girls and boys at different Tanner stages. Results: A total of 208 179 healthy children (96 471 girls and 111 708 boys) were enrolled in this study. The OR values of B2, B3 and B4+ in overweight girls were 1.72 (95%CI: 1.56-1.89), 3.19 (95%CI: 2.86-3.57), 7.14 (95%CI: 6.33-8.05) and in obese girls were 2.05 (95%CI: 1.88-2.24), 4.98 (95%CI: 4.49-5.53), 11.21 (95%CI: 9.98-12.59), respectively; while the OR values of G2, G3, G4+ in overweight boys were 1.27 (95%CI: 1.17-1.38), 1.52 (95%CI: 1.36-1.70), 1.88 (95%CI: 1.66-2.14) and in obese boys were 1.27 (95%CI: 1.17-1.37), 1.59 (95%CI: 1.43-1.78), and 1.93 (95%CI: 1.70-2.18) (compared with normal weight Tanner 1 group,all P<0.01). Analysis in different age groups found that OR values of obese girls at B2 stage and boys at G2 stage were 2.02 (95%CI: 1.06-3.86) and 2.32 (95%CI:1.05-5.12) in preschool children aged 3-<6 years, respectively (both P<0.05). And in the age group of 6-10 years, overweight girls had a 5.45-fold risk and obese girls had a 12.54-fold risk of B3 stage compared to girls with normal BMI. Compared with normal weight children, the risk of early puberty was 2.67 times higher in overweight girls, 3.63 times higher in obese girls, and 1.22 times higher in overweight boys, 1.35 times higher in obese boys (all P<0.01). Among the children at each Tanner stages, the percentage of early puberty increased with the increase of BMI, from 5.7% (80/1 397), 16.1% (48/299), 13.8% (27/195) to 25.7% (198/769), 65.1% (209/321), 65.4% (157/240) in girls aged 8-<9, 10-<11 and 11-<12 years, and 6.6% (34/513), 18.7% (51/273), 21.6% (57/264) to 13.3% (96/722), 46.4% (140/302), 47.5% (105/221) in boys aged 9-<10, 12-<13 and 13-<14 years, respectively. Conclusions: BMI is positively correlated with sexual development in both Chinese boys and girls, and the correlation is stronger in girls. Obesity is a risk factor for precocious puberty in preschool children aged 3-<6 years, and 6-<10 years of age is a high risk period for early development in obese girls.

Singing a New Song: Christian Musical Literature for Chinese Women in the Republican Era

This paper focuses on the songs circulated in the first Christian woman’s magazine in China, Nü duo (1912–1951). Its first editor, American missionary Laura M. White (1867–1937), played a crucial role in creating a wide range of music for Chinese girls through journalism. White used print media to circulate songs that were viewed as an integral part of the spiritual life of ideal womanhood. Unlike the hymnody confined to congregational worship, the music circulated through Nü duo aimed to promote a vocalised expression of Christian faith in everyday life. This spiritual life was interwoven with secular concerns about the nation, social issues and home life. An exploration of music literature published in Nü duo shows how Western music was translated into local language that aimed to reach female Christians in mission schools and at home. It provided an alternative to the dominant indigenous development of Protestant hymnody in the Republican era. It went beyond the foreign and local dichotomy with a concept of universal modern citizenship. Furthermore, it added a gendered perspective to Christian sacred music that was linked to the creation of a sense of a female fellowship.

Development of a multi-stage model for intelligent and quantitative appraising of skeletal maturity using cervical vertebras cone-beam CT images of Chinese girls.

Nowadays, the integration of Artificial intelligence algorithms and quantified radiographic imaging-based diagnostic procedures is hailing amplified deliberation particularly in assessment of skeletal maturity. So we intend to formulate a logistic regression model for intelligent and quantitative estimation of Fishman skeletal maturation index (SMI) based on the parameters attained from the cervical vertebrae CBCT images of Chinese girls. From 709 hand wrist radiographs and CBCT images, 447 samples were randomly selected (called as G1) to build a logistic regression model. The reliability and reproducibility were assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and weighted Cohen's kappa, followed by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to identify the parameters significantly associated with the SMI. Two hundred and sixty-two other subjects (named G2) were recruited for external examination of the models by direct visual comparison and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. In cases of confusion and mispredictions, the model was modified to improve the consistency. Five significant parameters (Chronological age, C3 height (H3)[Formula: see text], C4 upper width (UW4), C4 lower width (LW4), and the ratio of posterior height to lower width of C4 ([Formula: see text]) were administered into logistic regression model. Despite total agreement percentage which was 84% (total AUC = 0.92), unsatisfactory performance was noticed for the 6th and 8th stages which were confused with their neighboring stages. After adjustments of the models, the total agreement percentage and AUC were upgraded to 88% and 0.96, respectively. Consistency and fitness evaluation of our models demonstrated adequate prediction percentage and reliability for automated classification of skeletal maturation. The presented constructed logistic regression model has the potential to serve as a maturity evaluation index in clinical craniofacial orthopedics in Chinese girls. The proposed model in this study showed promising strength for being expended in the event of other clinical multi-stage conditions.

Is anti-Mullerian hormone a useful biomarker in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome in Chinese adolescents?

Objective (1) To investigate anti-Mullerian-hormone (AMH) in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared to age-matched girls without PCOS; (2) to determine whether AMH is a valuable marker for diagnosing PCOS and to explore the best cutoff value in adolescents; (3) using a multivariate predictive model for the diagnosis of PCOS. Methods Ninety girls (aged 10–20 years) recruited during two years for the PCOS-group (n = 45) or control-group (n = 45). PCOS diagnostic criteria according guidelines of the Endocrinology Expert Group, Obstetrics/Gynecology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association. Serum AMH and other sex hormones were measured. Logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds ratio of AMH and other variables for the diagnosis of PCOS. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was performed to reveal the diagnostic potential. Results (A) AMH was significantly higher in PCOS patients than in controls (10.21 ± 5.85 ng/ml vs. 4.31 ± 2.84 ng/ml, p < .001). In PCOS-group, total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT) and biologically active testosterone (BioT) were significantly higher than in controls (p < .001). (B) Logistic regression suggests that AMH and TT are correlated with the diagnosis of PCOS (p < .05). (C) ROC curve analyses demonstrated that the optimal value of AMH for predicting PCOS was 6.32 ng/mL, with 69.8% sensitivity and 80.5% specificity. Furthermore, AMH combined with TT can provide 83.7% sensitivity and 80.5% specificity for diagnosing PCOS in adolescents. Conclusions AMH may be a useful biomarker for the diagnosis of PCOS in Chinese adolescent girls. A cutoff value of 6.32 ng/mL best discriminated between PCOS patients and controls. Besides AMH a multivariate predictive model should include TT.

A Brief Analysis of the Influence of Missionary Schools on Modern Women's Education

The establishment and rise of modern missionary girls' schools opened a precedent for women's education. This paper studies the development of modern missionaries to China to run schools, modern Chinese self-run girls' schools, and the relationship between mission schools and modern Chinese self-run girls' schools. It demonstrates the critical role of modern church girls' schools in promoting modern Chinese girls' schools.

The Relationship between Parenting Style and Executive Function of Chinese Boys and Girls Aged 3-5 Years

The development of personal executive function is not only associated with the maturity of the related cerebrum region but also closely related to parenting style. As the first adopter of children, parents' parenting style influences children's cognition, socialization and personality development. This is a quantitative study which aims to investigate the development characteristics of the executive function (cool and hot) in boys and girls aged 3-5 years in China. Then, the relationship between the parenting style and executive function will be further explored. Through the analysis of data statistics by SPSS, the following research results are obtained: Firstly, There were significant age differences in the development of cool executive function in children aged 3-5 years, but not in hot executive function. Children have a better performance on the cool executive function as their age grows. Secondly, There was no significant gender difference in cool and hot executive functions in 3-5 years old children. Boys and girls do not differ significantly in performance on executive function tasks. Finally, The emotional warmth dimension in parenting style shows a tentative significant correlation with cool executive function, especially the hand games task. The other dimensions of parenting style are unrelated to cool and hot executive functions.

Microbiological Findings of Symptomatic Vulvovaginitis in Chinese Prepubertal Girls.

To study the bacteria and fungi causing vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls. Swabs from vaginal introitus were collected from patients with vulvovaginitis in 2018, and cultured for the identification of microorganisms with standard microbiological techniques. A children's hospital in Hangzhou, East China. A total of 1235 Chinese prepubertal girls diagnosed with vulvovaginitis. Bacteria or fungi in pure cultures or as the predominant organism were defined as pathogens. A total of 1235 cases were diagnosed as vulvovaginitis, and 515 isolates were identified from 494 patients (40%, 494/1235). The most common pathogen was Streptococcus pyogenes (27.6%,142/515), followed by Haemophilus influenzae (27.2%,140/515), Candida albicans (22.3%,115/515), Staphylococcus aureus (5.8%, 30/515) and Escherichia coli (4.7%,24/515). All S pyogenes isolates were sensitive to penicillin, whereas 53.7% (73/136) of H influenzae isolates were sensitive to ampicillin, and 70.4% (19/27) of S aureus isolates were sensitive to oxacillin. S pyogenes and H influenzae were the 2 most commonly identified pathogenic bacteria found in prepubertal girls with vulvovaginitis. Vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls caused by C albicans may be more common in older children.

Relationship between axial length and spherical equivalent refraction in Chinese children

PurposeTo evaluate the relationship between axial length (AL) and spherical equivalent refraction (SER) in Chinese children. MethodsThis hospital-based cross-sectional study included 1208 eyes (from 617 Chinese boys and 591 Chinese girls), ranging between 2 and 12 years. All subjects were divided into subgroups according to the spherical equivalent refraction (SER) (hyperopia, emmetropia, and myopia) and age (2–6 years, 7–9 years, and 10–12 years). Comparisons were made between age, sex, and SER groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlation of AL and SER for all groups. ResultsThe mean AL and SER were significantly different among the three age groups: 2–6 years group (AL: 22.24 ​± ​1.59 ​mm; SER: 0.73 ​± ​2.67 D); 7–9 years group (AL: 23.49 ​± ​1.10 ​mm; SE: -0.68 ​± ​1.97 D) and 10–12 years group (AL: 24.33 ​± ​1.02 ​mm; SER: -1.72 ​± ​1.86 D). Boys showed longer AL compared with the girls (23.66 ​± ​1.51 ​mm vs 23.05 ​± ​1.32 ​mm). However, as for SER, the girls (−0.70 ​± ​2.17 D) showed smaller SER (more myopia) compared with the boys (−0.4 ​± ​2.48 D). After adjusting for age and sex, the SER tended to decrease (became more myopic) 1.23 D (95% CI: 1.15–1.30D) with a 1 ​mm increase of AL. Among the different SER groups, the SER tended to become more myopic per mm of AL by 1.09 D (95% CI: 0.97–1.21D) for the myopia group, 1.38 D (95% CI: 1.23–1.54 D) for the hyperopia group, and 0.05 D (95% CI: 0.02–0.08 D) for the emmetropic group. In addition, an increase of 1 ​mm elongation of AL showed a decrease of SER by 1.05 D (95% CI: 0.90–1.20 D) among 2 – 6-year-olds, by 1.40 D (95% CI: 1.30–1.51 D) among 7 – 9-year-olds, and by 1.37 D (95% CI: 1.21–1.52 D) among 10–12-year-olds. As for sexual differences, the girls 1.68 D, (95% CI: 1.57–1.79 D) showed a more significant myopic shift of SER with a 1 ​mm increase of AL compared with the boys (0.94 D, 95% CI: 0.84–1.04 D). ConclusionsOur results indicated a strong linear relationship between SER and AL and an early-rising trend of myopia in Chinese children.

Obesity-related genetic polymorphisms are associated with the risk of early puberty in Han Chinese girls.

To explore the association between obesity and precocious puberty from the perspective of genetic polymorphism. Two hundred and ninety-eight pairs of girls in early puberty and age-matched controls (±3 months) were recruited. The genotypes of four obesity-related single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci (rs10968576, rs12935153, rs4674340 and rs7635103) were determined and the effect of variation on early puberty in Chinese Han girls was evaluated. The unstimulated luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels were also measured to determine the relationship with SNP polymorphisms. The effect allele A of rs12935153 was associated with early puberty (odds ratio [OR] = 1.256, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.010-1.585), but the significance disappeared after multiple comparisons. After adjusting for body mass index, rs12935153 variation increased the risk of early puberty in additive (OR = 1.589, 95% CI: 1.222-2.066), dominant (OR = 1.788, 95% CI: 1.210-2.642) and recessive (OR = 1.915, 95% CI: 1.207-3.038) models of inheritance. Individuals harbouring AA genotype in rs12935153 had a risk of higher LH levels than that of wild type (OR = 1.668, 95% CI: 1.093-2.546). The association between obesity and precocity can be explained from a genetic perspective. Our study suggests that variations in rs12935153 increase the risk of early puberty in Chinese girls. Further studies are needed to verify our findings.

Tri-Ponderal Mass Index Reference Values for Screening Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: Results From Two National-Representative Cross-Sectional Studies in China and America.

IntroductionTo ascertain the possible cut point of tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) in discriminating metabolic syndrome (MetS) and related cardio-metabolic risk factors in Chinese and American children and adolescents.MethodsA total of 57,201 Chinese children aged 7-18 recruited in 2012 and and 10,441 American children aged 12-18 from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2001-2014) were included to fit TMI percentiles. Participants were randomly assigned to a derivation set (75%) and validation set (25%). The cut points of TMI with the lowest misclassification rate under the premise of the highest area under curves (AUC) were selected for each sex, which were additionally examined in the validation set. All of data analysis was conducted between September and December in 2019.ResultsTMI showed good capacity on discriminating MetS, with AUC of 0.7658 (95% CI: 0.7544-0.7770) to 0.8445 (95% CI: 0.8349-0.8537) in Chinese and 0.8871 (95% CI: 0.8663-0.9056) to 0.9329 (95% CI: 0.9166-0.9469) in American children. The optimal cut points were 14.46 kg/m3 and 13.91 kg/m3 for Chinese boys and girls, and 17.08 kg/m3 and 18.89 kg/m3 for American boys and girls, respectively. The corresponding misclassification rates were 17.1% (95% CI: 16.4-17.8) and 11.2% (95% CI: 9.9-12.6), respectively. Performance of these cut points were also examined in the validation set (sensitivity 67.7%, specificity 82.4% in Chinese; sensitivity 84.4%, specificity 88.7% in American children).ConclusionsA sex- and ethnicity- specific single cut point of TMI could be used to distinguish MetS and elevated risk of cardio-metabolic factors in children and adolescents.

Association of Nighttime Sleep Duration with Depressive Symptoms and Its Interaction with Regular Physical Activity among Chinese Adolescent Girls.

Depression has become a major mental health concern among adolescents globally, and the relationship between depressive symptoms and nighttime sleep duration among adolescent girls remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between nighttime sleep duration and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescent girls. This cross-sectional study, conducted in 2018, included 4952 girls aged 10–19 years from the eastern, central, and western regions of China. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and categorized into depressive symptoms and non-depressive symptoms. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of depressive symptoms. After adjustment for covariates, adolescent girls with a nighttime sleep duration of <7 h/night (OR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.76–2.95) and 7 h/night (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.48–2.24) were associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms, compared to those with a sleep duration of 8 h/night. An interaction between nighttime sleep duration and regular physical activity on the risk of depressive symptoms was observed (p for interaction = 0.036). Among both girls with and without regular physical activity, a sleep duration of <7 h/night was associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms, and the magnitude of the ORs among girls with regular physical activity was lower than those without regular physical activity. This study found a significant association of short nighttime sleep duration with increased risk of depressive symptoms, and demonstrates the importance of maintaining adequate nighttime sleep duration and ensuring regular physical activity in improving depressive symptoms among adolescent girls.

Genetic factors of idiopathic central precocious puberty and their polygenic risk in early puberty.

To investigate the genetic characteristics of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) and validate its polygenic risk for early puberty. A bootstrap subsampling and genome-wide association study were performed on Taiwanese Han Chinese girls comprising 321 ICPP patients and 148 controls. Using previous GWAS data on pubertal timing, a replication study was performed. A validation group was also investigated for the weighted polygenic risk score (wPRS) of the risk of early puberty. A total of 105 SNPs for the risk of ICPP were identified, of which 22 yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.713 for the risk of early puberty in the validation group. A replication study showed that 33 SNPs from previous GWAS data of pubertal timing were associated with the risk of ICPP (training group: P-value < 0.05). In the validation group, a cumulative effect was observed between the wPRS and the risk of early puberty in a dose-dependent manner (validation group: Cochran-Armitage trend test: P-value < 1.00E-04; wPRS quartile 2 (Q2) (odds ratio (OR) = 5.00, 95% CI: 1.55-16.16), and wPRS Q3 (OR = 11.67, 95% CI: 2.44-55.83)). This study reveals the ICPP genetic characteristics with 22 independent and 33 reported SNPs in the Han Chinese population from Taiwan. This study may contribute to understand the genetic features and underlying biological pathways that control pubertal timing and pathogenesis of ICPP and also to the identification of individuals with a potential genetic risk of early puberty.

The Efficacy of Brief School-Based Exercise Programs in Improving Pubertal Bone Mass and Physical Fitness: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: To examine the effects of three types of school-based exercises on bone health and physical fitness function in Chinese boys and girls. Methods: One hundred and seventy-four Chinese boys and girls were randomly assigned into four groups: (1) sham exercise (ShEx); (2) high-impact exercise (HiEx); (3) high-impact exercise with various directions (HiExVi); and (4) high-intensity interval exercise (HiInEx). Speed of sound (SOS) and physical fitness parameters were determined before and after six-month intervention. Results: At the end of six-month intervention, participants in all groups show an increment of SOS compared with the baseline (p < 0.05), and the changes were higher in HiEx (mean: 38.878 m/s, 95% CI: 32.885~44.872, p = 0.001) and HiExVi groups (49.317 m/s, 42.737~55.897, p < 0.001) compared with ShEx group (20.049 m/s, 13.751~26.346). Six-month exercise training generated a reduction of percent of body fat (PBF) and waist–hip ratio (WHR) (p < 0.05). The decrease of PBF was greater in HiExVi (−1.222%, −1.820~−0.624, p = 0.012) and HiInEx groups (−1.395%, −1.809~−0.982, p = 0.003), whereas the reduction of WHR was larger in HiEx (−0.026, −0.039~−0.014, p = 0.009), HiExVi (−0.024, −0.036~−0.012, p = 0.021), and HiInEx groups (−0.035, −0.046~−0.024, p < 0.001) compared with ShEx group. Balance function (BLF), vital capacity (VC), standing long jump (SLJ), and sit up (SU) increased in all intervention groups (p < 0.05). The BLF increased in HiEx (6.332 s, 4.136~8.528, p = 0.001), HiExVi (10.489 s, 8.934~12.045, p < 0.001), and HiInEx groups (9.103 s, 7.430~10.776, p < 0.001) showed a greater change than that of ShEx group (1.727 s, 0.684~2.770). The increment of VC (273.049 mL, 199.510~346.587, p < 0.001) and SU (2.537 times/min, 0.639~4.435, p = 0.017) was higher in HiInEx group, whereas the accrual in SLJ was larger in HiExVi (7.488 cm, 4.936~10.040, p = 0.007) compared with ShEx group (58.902 mL, 7.990~109.814; −0.463 times/min, −2.003~1.077; 1.488 cm, −0.654~3.630). Conclusion: The brief school-based exercises were effective in improving schoolchildren’s health, but they showed different effects, with HiEx mostly improving bone health, HiInEx largely benefiting physical fitness function, and HiExVi enhancing both bone and physical fitness.

Teacher's Emotional Support and Math Performance: The Chain Mediating Effect of Academic Self-Efficacy and Math Behavioral Engagement.

Positive teacher-student interaction can exert a positive influence on student engagement and math performance. As an important part of teacher-student interaction, emotional support of a teacher plays an indispensable role in the math performance of junior middle school and elementary school students. This study aimed to explore the effects of teacher's emotional support on math performance, and examine the mediating role of academic self-efficacy and math behavioral engagement. A total of 1,294 students in grades 3–5 and 7–8 from 14 junior middle and primary schools in China took part in the web-based survey. Results showed the following: (1) academic self-efficacy mediated the relationship between teacher's emotional support and math performance of Chinese primary and middle school boys and girls; math behavioral engagement mediated the relationship between teacher's emotional support and math performance of Chinese primary and middle school boys and girls; (2) The relationship between teacher's emotional support and math performance of Chinese junior middle school boys and girls was mediated by the chain of academic self-efficacy and math behavioral engagement.

The utility of serum inhibin B, anti-Müllerian hormone and insulin growth factor-1 in predicting a positive response to GnRH analogs for diagnosing central precocious puberty in girls

Abstract Objectives The use of inhibin B (INHB), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in differentiating central precocious puberty (CPP) from non-CPP was evaluated. Methods In total, 115 Chinese girls were recruited (CPP: 44, non-CPP: 71). The diagnostic performance of INHB, AMH and IGF-1 in differentiating CPP from non-CPP was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results INHB levels were higher in the CPP group than in the non-CPP group (55.56 ± 22.42 vs. 32.97 ± 15.59 pg/mL; p&lt;0.001). AMH levels were similar in the CPP and non-CPP groups (6.63 ± 3.74 vs. 5.70 ± 3.15 pg/mL; p=0.158), and IGF-1 levels were much higher in the CPP group than in the non-CPP group (290.75 ± 79.78 vs. 200.10 ± 54.01 pg/mL; p&lt;0.001). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was greatest for INHB (0.819, standard error (SE) 0.041), followed by IGF-1 (0.809, SE 0.047) and AMH (0.567, SE 0.057). Among the ROC curves including combinations of these parameters, the AUC for INHB + IGF-1 was 0.849 and that for INHB + AMH was 0.768. Conclusions Serum INHB and IGF-1 measurements could predict positive responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog stimulation in girls with precocious puberty.

The Use of Morning Urinary Gonadotropins and Sex Hormones in the Management of Early Puberty in Chinese Girls.

ContextAlthough gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test (GnRHST) is the gold standard in diagnosing central precocious puberty (CPP), it is invasive, expensive, and time-consuming, requiring multiple blood samples to measure gonadotropin levels.ObjectiveWe evaluated whether urinary hormones could be potential biomarkers for prepuberty or postpuberty, aiming to simplify the current diagnosis and prognosis procedure.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study of a total of 355 girls with CPP in National Clinical Research Center for Child Health in China, including 258 girls with positive and 97 girls with negative results from GnRHST. Twenty patients received GnRH analogue (GnRHa) treatment and completed a 6-month follow up. We measured luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, prolactin, progesterone, testosterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin in the first morning voided urine samples.ResultsTheir urinary LH levels and the ratios of LH to FSH increased significantly with the advancement in Tanner stages. uLH levels were positively associated with basal and peak LH levels in the serum after GnRH stimulation. A cutoff value of 1.74 IU/L for uLH reached a sensitivity of 69.4% and a specificity of 75.3% in predicting a positive GnRHST result. For the combined threshold (uLH ≥ 1.74 + uLH-to-uFSH ratio > 0.4), the specificity reached 86.6%. After 3 months of GnRHa therapy, the uLH and uFSH levels decreased accordingly.ConclusionuLH could be a reliable biomarker for initial CPP diagnosis and screening; uLH could also be an effective marker for evaluating the efficacy of clinical treatment.

Vécu de jeunes femmes présentant un trouble des conduites alimentaires et de leurs parents en Chine : étude qualitative

IntroductionRecent tendencies show a stabilization in Western countries of the incidence of anorexia nervosa but an increase in Asian countries where it used to be lower. The emergence of these diseases in non-Western countries suggests a culture change syndrome on an individual or societal scale. The great number of changes having occurred in China in the past decades would favor the occurrence of eating disorders. A variability of symptoms of eating disorders can be observed depending on the cultural background which also influences the treatment. There are few studies that exist within an Asian context, and they mostly focus on the care. ObjectivesIn this study, we intend to explore the experience of Chinese female patients hospitalized for an eating disorder and the experience of their parents: their relationship with the symptoms, with their health and their understanding of the disease, in order to identify the impact of the Chinese cultural context upon the disorder. MethodIt is an observational, phenomenological and qualitative study. A purposive sampling was formed from a clinical population group of young teenagers and women, coming from various areas of China and hospitalized in the specialized Psychosomatic Department of Shanghai Mental Health Center, in August and December 2017. The degree of urbanization, the regions and ages categories were wide-ranging, allowing us to maximize the richness of the data assessing the disease and care representations. Two semi-structured interviews were realized with the participants, then with one or both parents. The interviews were realized with an evaluative interview guide by the same researcher together with a Chinese psychology student in order to clarify the translation and the interpretation of the cultural elements expressed by the participants. The analysis was based on the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two researchers read the interview transcripts several times, identified themes then connections between the themes to build a set of meta-themes depicting the narratives. Every meta-theme was linked with its corresponding themes which necessitated during the analysis constant back and forth between the analytical data and the source material. ResultsThirteen female patients and 11 parents took part in the study. The patients were between 12 and 31 years of age. They showed a wide range of eating disorders: restrictive anorexia, anorexia nervosa, or bulimia nervosa. Their Body Mass Index at the time of the interview ranged from 11 to 22. Three meta-themes emerged from the analysis: concerns about thinness and health are real catalysts for seeking care, the opposition between parental beliefs about factors of good health and eating symptoms in young girls, and changes in parenting and traditional educational methods induced by eating symptoms. These different themes highlight the fear of thinness and good health being powerful therapeutic levers in China, the intergenerational agreements and disagreements on the factors of good health with the parental experience of consideration around the eating disorder of their daughter, and an impact of traditional educational modalities on the family relational aspects that change with the disorder. DiscussionExploring the experience of young Chinese girls or women suffering from eating disorders highlights the complex interactions between the cultural and clinical context of eating disorders. Weight loss is experienced with great difficulty by the young women of our study, who report somatic symptoms and worry about their thinness. Our results show the central position occupied by maintaining oneself in good health in China, for parents and teenagers alike. This allows a quick reliance on healthcare. The intergenerational differences in China are increased by the rapid changes occurring within Chinese society which can cause conflicts and particularly violent struggles. Its younger generations are becoming more and more globalized. These results provide further evidence that eating disorders are culture change syndromes. The therapeutic impact of our results is twofold. On the individual level, there are therapeutic cultural levers linked with Chinese culture, and they have to be sought in all cultures. The therapeutic education of Chinese patients must be centered on the somatic consequences of the disease in order to increase the adherence to the care. On the familial level, the therapeutic approaches centered on intergenerational conflicts must be developed. ConclusionThe rapid sociocultural changes in China are causing important intergenerational differences, notably between traditional educational modalities and the need for independence of young people who require specific familial therapy. The cultural elements must be taken into account in order to understand eating disorders and to develop relevant therapeutic approaches.

The relationship between self-objectification and social avoidance among Chinese middle adolescent girls: The mediating role of appearance comparison and self-esteem

Although previous studies have demonstrated that appearance plays an important role in the avoidance of social contact among adolescent girls, the reasons for this remain unclear. The purpose of the study was to investigate this issue from the perspective of objectification theory. We investigated self-objectification, appearance comparison, self-esteem, and social avoidance among 262 Chinese middle adolescent girls (Mage = 15.97 years, ranging from 14 to 17) living in Guangdong province, China. The results showed a positive correlation between self-objectification and social avoidance, which was further mediated by appearance comparison and self-esteem. Moreover, girls with high levels of self-objectification were more likely to compare their appearance to others, which in turn, was linked to lower self-esteem, and subsequently correlated with greater social avoidance. These findings suggest that self-objectification may adversely influence adolescent girls’ interpersonal well-being. Based on our results, interventions addressing social avoidance among adolescent girls may include reducing self-objectification, decreasing appearance comparison, and improving self-esteem. The findings of the present study provide a better understanding of the negative consequences of self-objectification by incorporating social avoidance.