Associations Between Weight-Related Measurements and Pubertal Markers in Norwegian Girls: The Bergen Growth Study 2

Ingvild Særvold Bruserud; Mathieu Roelants; Ingvild Halsør Forthun; Kristin Viste; Robert Bjerknes; André Greger Madsen; Lawrence M Schell; Ninnie B Oehme; Petur B Juliusson

doi:10.1210/jendso/bvaf100

Associations Between Weight-Related Measurements and Pubertal Markers in Norwegian Girls: The Bergen Growth Study 2

J Endocr Soc. 2025 Jun 4;9(8):bvaf100. doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvaf100. eCollection 2025 Aug.

Authors

Ingvild Særvold Bruserud^{1

2}, Mathieu Roelants³, Ingvild Halsør Forthun^{1

4}, Kristin Viste^{4

5}, Robert Bjerknes^{1

4}, André Greger Madsen⁵, Lawrence M Schell⁶, Ninnie B Oehme¹, Petur B Juliusson^{1

4

7}

Affiliations

¹ Children and Youth Clinic, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen 5021, Norway.
² Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Western University College of Applied Sciences, Bergen 5063, Norway.
³ Department of Care, Flemish Government, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5020, Norway.
⁵ Hormone Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen 5021, Norway.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
⁷ Health Registry Research and Development, National Institute of Public Health, Bergen 5808, Norway.

Abstract

Context: Previous studies that have documented the association between puberty and overweight and obesity have typically used body mass index (BMI) as a measure of weight status, and menarche as outcome. Other markers of body weight or pubertal development are less studied.

Objective: To characterize associations between weight-related anthropometric measurements and pubertal markers in Norwegian girls.

Methods: A total of 646 schoolgirls aged 6 to 16 years from the Bergen Growth Study 2 were included. Pubertal status was assessed with ultrasound staging of breast development (USB), Tanner pubic hair stage, and menarche. Reproductive hormones were analyzed with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and immunoassays. BMI, waist circumference, subscapular skinfolds (SSF), and percentage body fat measured by bioelectrical impedance (%BF) were converted to z-scores to study associations with pubertal status with logistic/linear regression adjusted for age (all pubertal markers) and Cox regression (menarche).

Results: For all stages of breast development and all weight-related variables, girls with relatively low (< -1z) levels of anthropometric measurements were less likely (age-adjusted odds ratio [AOR] <1) and girls with high z-score levels were more likely (AOR >1) to have reached a particular stage compared to average-weight peers. Comparable associations were found for menarche. Pubarche was not significantly associated with weight-related measurements. Interestingly, serum concentrations of estrogens were lower in pubertal girls (USB2-5) with increasing SSF and %BF z-scores.

Conclusion: Associations between all included weight-related anthropometric measurements and breast development and menarche, but not pubarche, were found strong and consistent. Our findings indicate complex associations between reproductive hormones and weight status.

Keywords: development; maturation; menarche; pediatric endocrinology; pubertal assessment; puberty.