Table 3.
Health effect measures to assess for pubertal development.a
| Onset of puberty |
| Sexual maturity rating (Tanner staging) |
| Performed by observer or by self-reporting |
| Frequency: annually |
| Stature |
| Hormones [luteinizing hormone, estradiol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrostendione-sulfate (DHEA-S)] |
| Salivary hormone levels |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone |
| Later stages of puberty |
| Voice pattern change (males) |
| Menarche |
| Menstrual history |
| Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry |
| At age 6 and 12 years for females and at age 6 and 14 years for males |
a
Discussed at the NCS inter-work group meeting “Obesity and Physical Development.” This meeting was co-chaired by the Nutrition, Growth, and Pubertal Development and the Exposure to Chemical Agents working groups in Baltimore, Maryland (USA), on 17–18 December 2002.