Desarrollo puberal en niñas y adolescentes de la ciudad de Mérida, Venezuela: Comparación con datos de 1982 y asociación con crecimiento, estado nutricional y estrato socioeconómico (estudio Credefar).

Objective: To evaluate the pubertal development in girls and adolescents of the Libertador Municipality of Merida, Venezuela, to compare with 1982 data, and to establish its association with growth, nutritional status and socioeconomic stratum. Methods: Observational, analytical and cross-sectional study. Representative sample of 476 girls and adolescents aged 8-18 years, mean age 13.48 ± 2.44 years, from public and private educational institutions were included. Growth, nutritional status, stage of pubertal development, sexual maturation time and socioeconomic stratum were evaluated. Results: The age of the different pubertal stages and age at menarche were significantly earlier compared to 1982 data (p <0.002). The mean age of menarche was 11.97 ± 1.29 years, while that of 1982 was 12.55 ± 1.29 years; menarche has been brought forward 0.20 years per decade in our city. Early maturation was observed in 16.2% of participants, average in 66.2% and delayed maturation in 6.3%. Low weight participants had a later menarche than normal weight and overweight-obese (p=0.02), and those with short stature had significantly higher proportion of delayed sexual maturation compared to normal height and tall stature (p=0.02). There were no differences in relation to the educational institution and socioeconomic stratum. Conclusion: The pubertal development is determined by complex genetic mechanisms, which may be influenced by ethnicity, nutritional status, and environmental factors. There is a clear secular trend toward earlier age at thelarche, pubarche and menarche. The states of low weight and short stature were associated with late puberty.