Abstract
Study Objective
Females are more likely than males to suffer from various mood and pain disorders.
However, this female predominance does not appear to develop until puberty. The purpose
of the present study was to examine the associations among hormone concentrations,
self-rated Tanner staging and dysmenorrhea, and to determine whether various psychosocial
factors modulate these relationships.
Design
As part of a larger prospective study of the influence of puberty on laboratory pain
response, Tanner ratings, estradiol and follicle stimulating hormone concentrations,
dysmenorrhea and psychosocial parameters including depression, anxiety, somatization,
and socioeconomic status were observed.
Participants
124 healthy girls ages 8 to 18 were evaluated.
Main Outcome Measure
There were significant correlations between pubertal status utilizing self-rated diagrams
of Tanner stage and hormonal markers of pubertal development, specifically estradiol
and FSH. Tanner stage but not estradiol was correlated with presence of dysmenorrhea.
There was no effect of body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic status (SES), anxiety,
depression, or somatization on presence or absence of painful menses. There was no
correlation between BMI or SES and age of menarche. However, Tanner stage was correlated
with BMI but not with SES.
Results and Conclusions
Tanner self-staging is at least as accurate as estradiol and FSH measurements alone
in evaluating healthy female adolescents' physical changes and menstrual pain. Tanner
self-ratings are thus particularly useful in large, epidemiologic, or cross cultural
studies where physical examination and blood sampling may not be feasible due to cost,
access, or psychosocial barriers.
Key Words
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© 2006 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
