Pubertal Development and Timing

Synonyms

Pubertal changes; Pubertal maturation

Definitions

To date, studies of puberty have primarily focused on examining the effects of two pubertal variables on the development of eating disorders: pubertal status and pubertal timing. Pubertal status refers to one’s pubertal stage (i.e., prepuberty, early puberty, mid-puberty, late puberty, and postpuberty) at a particular point in time. Pubertal status is often assessed by examining the physical changes of puberty (e.g., breast development, skin changes). By contrast, pubertal timing refers to the timing of pubertal markers as compared to peers (i.e., early maturers, on-time maturers, and late maturers). Pubertal timing is measured either by an individual’s subjective impression of his/her development in relation to peers or a comparison of the ages of one’s development relative to national norms.

Most studies in eating disorders have examined both pubertal variables cross-sectionally, examining how pubertal status and/or timing at...