ABSTRACT
Objective@#To explore the impact of adverse childhood experiences on pubertal development,and to provide a reference for conducting the targeted intervention in the early stage.@*Methods@#A cluster sampling method was used to randomly select students of grades 3 to 4 from three primary schools in Ma’anshan municipality of Anhui province in October 2017. Self-reported childhood adverse experiences (ACEs), including physical, emotional and sexual abuse, as well as physical and emotional neglect were collected. Testicular volume and breast Tanner stage were assessed. A follow-up survey was conducted one year later to assess ACEs and pubertal development. ACEs of each dimension were divided into non-exposure group, transient exposure group and sustained exposure group according to ACEs exposure at baseline and follow-up. Multivariate linear regression model was used to analyze the relationship between ACEs exposure and pubertal development after 1-year follow-up.@*Results@#Sustained emotional abuse was positively associated with increased breast Tanner stage and testicular volume (breast: β=0.36, 95%CI=0.09-0.63, P<0.01; testicular volume: β=1.07, 95%CI=0.47-1.66, P<0.01); sustained physical abuse was positively associated with decreased testicular volume (β=-0.83, 95%CI=-1.58--0.08, P<0.05); sustained and transient sexual abuse were significant positively associated with decreased breast Tanner stages (sustained: β=-1.43, 95%CI=-2.86--0.02, P<0.05; transient: β=-0.45, 95%CI=-0.73--0.19, P<0.05); sustained emotional neglect was positively associated with increased breast Tanner staging (β=0.33, 95%CI=0.06-0.61, P<0.05) and decreased testicular volume (β=-0.19, 95%CI=-1.38--0.19, P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#Sustained emotional abuse was associated with early pubertal development in boys and girls,and the specitic mechanisam differences of different ACES puberty development effects and the gender differences of the same ACES puberty development effects need to be furthur explored.