None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Recent studies have suggested that the transition through puberty is marked by an increased risk of behavioural and emotional health problems. These include common emotional problems such as depression and anxiety; substance use; eating disorders; self-harm; antisocial behaviours, and functional somatic disorders such as headaches and irritable bowel syndrome. Previous studies have not adequately answered whether differences in social, lifestyle and biological transitions during puberty may explain the emergence of these difficulties. This is despite the evidence that adolescent mental and behavioural disorders have become more common in recent decades with the reasons likely to lie in changes in the social and lifestyle context of development. The aim of this study is to prospectively examine the factors that may influence the onset and course of pubertal-onset health problems. This study will provide the most comprehensive quantification of the association between puberty development and the major health problems that become prevalent in early adolescence. Participants will be 1239 grade 3 students (age 8-9 years) at public, Catholic and independent schools in metropolitan Melbourne. There will be annual assessments, over a nine-year period. Participants will complete web-based questionnaires covering a range of topics including mental and physical health, pubertal development, social context, activities of daily living and emotional style. Additionally, participants’ height, weight and waist circumference will be measured. A saliva sample will also be collected from each student in order to measure saliva hormone levels (another measure of pubertal stage). Parents and teachers will also be asked to complete a questionnaire. Parents will provide information regarding socio-demographics, family background, child behavioural and emotional adjustment and parental health and lifestyle. Teachers will be asked to complete a very brief questionnaire about the strengths and difficulties and academic attainment for each student.
Interventions
This observational cohort study aims to prospectively examine associations between the timing and stage of the different hormonally-mediated changes, as well as the onset and course of common health and behavioural problems that emerge in the transition from childhood to adolescence. This project has a specific focus on adrenarche, the first hormonal process in the pubertal cascade. Participants will be followed up on an annual basis for a total of nine waves of data collection.
Participants wi
This observational cohort study aims to prospectively examine associations between the timing and stage of the different hormonally-mediated changes, as well as the onset and course of common health and behavioural problems that emerge in the transition from childhood to adolescence. This project has a specific focus on adrenarche, the first hormonal process in the pubertal cascade. Participants will be followed up on an annual basis for a total of nine waves of data collection. Participants will complete web-based questionnaires covering a range of topics including mental and physical health, pubertal development, social context, activities of daily living and emotional style. Additionally, participants’ height, weight and waist circumference will be measured. A saliva sample will also be collected from each student in order to measure saliva hormone levels (another measure of pubertal stage). Parents and teachers will also be asked to complete a questionnaire. Parents will provide information regarding socio-demographics, family background, child behavioural and emotional adjustment and parental health and lifestyle. Teachers will be asked to complete a very brief questionnaire about the strengths and difficulties and academic attainment for each student.
Sponsors
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
8 Years to 9 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
In 2012, all Grade 3 students from a stratified (Government, Catholic, Independent strata) cluster sample of schools in Melbourne (n = 43), Australia were invited to take part.
Exclusion criteria
N/A
Outcome results
None listed