American Journal of Human Biology最新文献

{"title":"Physical, Psychological, and Behavioral Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome in Relation to Body Size and Shape","authors":"Janina Tutkuviene,&nbsp;Simona Gervickaite,&nbsp;Martyna Sveikataite,&nbsp;Gabija Stulgyte,&nbsp;Julija Rugelyte,&nbsp;Renata Simkunaite-Rizgeliene,&nbsp;Diana Ramasauskaite","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70169","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70169","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to evaluate potential relationships between the frequency of physical, and psychological or behavioral symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in relation to body mass index (BMI) and body shapes in young women.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In total, 22 of the most common PMS symptoms were assessed using a questionnaire, as well as self-reported height, weight, and body shape (using five silhouette types). A total of 6697 women aged 18–30 was included in the final statistical analysis. Symptom frequencies were measured using a 5-point Likert scale, and the mean frequency of occurrence (MFO) was calculated for all symptoms. Statistical analyses included analysis of variance (ANOVA), univariate logistic regression, and stepwise regression.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>PMS symptom prevalence ranged from 61.0% to 97.2%. Overall, MFO of all physical PMS symptoms (M ± SD = 3.12 ± 0.75) was lower than the MFO of all psychological and behavioral symptoms (M ± SD = 3.29 ± 0.96; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Women with overweight or obesity, also those with an apple-shaped body, reported the highest symptom frequencies (MFO = 3.20–3.35), while underweight and rectangular-shaped women had the lowest MFO (2.98–3.25; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Stepwise analysis showed BMI and body shape were more strongly associated with physical symptoms than psychological or behavioral ones.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These results highlight the importance of body size and shape in understanding individual differences in PMS symptoms, suggesting that higher BMI and an apple-shaped body are more associated with PMS symptoms. Therefore, special attention should be paid to women with this body type, and they should be examined more thoroughly in order to take preventive measures in a timely manner.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12621079/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145535030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"More Than Childbirth: Unveiling the Risks of Marriage on Women's Mortality in Tang Dynasty China","authors":"Yan Liu","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70168","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70168","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study investigates how marital and maternal statuses influenced female mortality in the Tang Dynasty (618–907 <span>ce</span>), China. It challenges the focus on reproductive risks by exploring both biological and social factors affecting female mortality in reproductive and post-reproductive years.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Epitaph data were analyzed from four female groups: bureaucrats' wives (married, reproductive), eunuchs' wives (married, nonreproductive due to husband's castration), never-married religious women (never married, nonreproductive), and widowed religious women (reproductive, later left marriage). Ages at death were illustrated using summary statistics and kernel density plots, analyzed using bootstrapped polynomial regression, pairwise comparisons with 9999 replicates, and Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Male bureaucrats and eunuchs were also included for contextual comparison.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Bureaucrats' wives had a significantly lower adjusted mean age at death than nonreproductive groups, eunuchs' wives (−7.43 years; <i>p</i> = 0.006), and never-married religious women (−7.07 years; <i>p</i> = 0.006). Survival curves support that reproductive risks shaped mortality. Among post-reproductive women, those who remained in marital roles had a significantly lower mean age at death than those who joined a religious order (−3.9 years; <i>p</i> = 0.003). The negative effects of remaining in marriage in later life were supported.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Female mortality resulted from a complex interplay of biological and social factors. Reproductive risks primarily affected females during younger ages. During post-reproductive years, remaining in marriage and widowhood negatively affected survival, while entering religious orders was protective.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12606549/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145497147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Field Methods for Investigating Onset and Progression of Middle Childhood Physical, Hormonal, Cognitive and Social Development","authors":"Courtney Helfrecht,&nbsp;Ivan Kroupin,&nbsp;Tanya MacGillivray,&nbsp;Lee T. Gettler","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70167","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70167","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Child development is biocultural, meaning both genetics and experience with the ecocultural context shape ontogeny. Developmental systems—physical, hormonal, cognitive, social, among others—are dynamic and have points of interrelation with each other and local environments, as well as tradeoffs in their patterning. These articulations challenge our ability to discern the factors influencing our phenotypic outcomes; further, similar outcomes may not reference similar pathways. As a result, our ability to understand the evolution of childhood and its role in human life history remains limited. Middle childhood represents an especially unique phase of human life history, with significant shifts across developmental domains. Physically, children's skeletal growth slows after an initial growth spurt. Hormonally, there is a rise in the production of dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate (DHEAS) due to the process of adrenarche, which may have important impacts across developmental systems. Cognitively, children become progressively more rational. Socially, children are increasingly aware of the complexity of human perspectives and morality. Methodological approaches to assess the onset and progression of middle childhood must take into consideration the expansive cross-cultural variation in childhoods. This toolkit offers a set of recommendations for evaluating development across middle childhood, with attention to the eco-cultural context of maturation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145460233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In Memoriam Jane B. Lancaster (1935–2025), a Pioneer in Anthropology","authors":"Hillard S. Kaplan,&nbsp;Robert Hitchcock","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70164","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145469672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical Thresholds for Visceral Adiposity Accumulation: A Comparative Analysis in Sex-, Age-, and BMI-Matched Black and White Adults","authors":"Austin J. Graybeal,&nbsp;Nuno Oliveira,&nbsp;Molly F. Johnson,&nbsp;Maria G. Kaylor,&nbsp;Abby T. Compton,&nbsp;Sydney H. Swafford,&nbsp;Caleb F. Brandner,&nbsp;Jon Stavres","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70165","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70165","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to prospectively identify visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation thresholds in a cohort of sex-, age-, and BMI-matched non-Hispanic White and Black adults using a range of commonly employed whole-body and abdominal-specific adiposity measures associated with chronic disease risk.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 344 non-Hispanic White (<i>n</i> = 172) and Black adults (<i>n</i> = 172) matched for sex, age, and BMI completed anthropometric and DXA-based body composition assessments. Anthropometric measures included BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). DXA was used to quantify VAT, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), body fat percentage (BF%) across the whole body, trunk, and android region, and the android-to-gynoid BF% ratio. Segmented linear regression was used to identify significant sex- and race-specific VAT thresholds for each variable—defined as the inflection points where the relationship between VAT and each variable significantly changed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Significant VAT thresholds were observed for BF%, WHtR, SAT, android BF%, and trunk BF% in both racial groups, with all thresholds higher for Black than White adults. When stratified by sex, all variables showed significant thresholds in White males, while none were observed in Black males. Significant VAT thresholds were identified for BF%, WHR, and SAT in Black females; WHtR in White females; and android-to-gynoid BF% in both groups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>After matching for key anthropometric influences, distinct sex- and race-specific VAT thresholds exist for Black and White adults, often falling below current clinical guidelines. These findings support the need for population-specific screening tools to improve early detection and prevention of cardiometabolic risks.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12587260/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145446370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Salivary Testosterone, Age, and Adiposity Associations Among Shuar Males in Amazonian Ecuador Challenge Assumptions of “Normal” Testosterone Patterns","authors":"Theresa E. Gildner,&nbsp;Melissa A. Liebert,&nbsp;Joshua M. Schrock,&nbsp;Samuel S. Urlacher,&nbsp;Dorsa Amir,&nbsp;Christopher J. Harrington,&nbsp;Felicia C. Madimenos,&nbsp;Tara J. Cepon-Robins,&nbsp;Richard G. Bribiescas,&nbsp;Lawrence S. Sugiyama,&nbsp;J. Josh Snodgrass","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70166","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70166","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Adult male testosterone concentrations in high income countries often decrease with age and adiposity, a pattern typically viewed as “normal.” However, testosterone is expected to be adaptively regulated within the range of resource constrained, high pathogen, natural fertility conditions across which it evolved to function. We therefore examine associations among testosterone diurnal variation, age, and adiposity among Indigenous Shuar males of Amazonian Ecuador.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Morning and evening saliva was sampled over three consecutive days to capture diurnal testosterone variation (<i>n</i> = 104, ages 12–67), with one-time measures of adiposity (body fat, BMI). Multilevel models tested predicted associations. Average morning and evening testosterone ratio was calculated to assess diurnal variation, and regression analyses tested the association between this ratio and age.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Variation in testosterone concentrations at waking was apparent by age, with young males exhibiting the highest concentrations. Diurnal testosterone variation decreased with age (<i>β</i> = −0.006, <i>p</i> = 0.001). Significant age-by-BMI or percent body fat interactions were documented (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). At lower adiposity levels, mean testosterone concentrations across the day were lowest at younger ages, highest in middle-aged participants, and slightly lower at older ages. At higher adiposity levels this pattern was reversed (for BMI) or attenuated (for percent body fat).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>“Normal” testosterone levels are largely based on studies from high-income populations that do not account for diverse ecological conditions known to influence human physiology. This study complements others highlighting the complex relationships that exist among age, adiposity, and diurnal testosterone patterns in subsistence populations, suggesting socio-ecological regulation of testosterone.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145406724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of Air Pollution With Adiposity Rates in Active Runners and Inactive People","authors":"Petr Kutac,&nbsp;Martina Dankova,&nbsp;Lukas Cipryan,&nbsp;Marek Buzga,&nbsp;Vitezslav Jirik,&nbsp;Vaclav Bunc,&nbsp;Martin Sigmund,&nbsp;Miroslav Krajcigr,&nbsp;Matthew Zimmermann,&nbsp;Daniel Jandacka","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70159","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70159","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The aim of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the association between long-term air pollution (AP) exposure and adiposity, primarily visceral fat and secondary body fat in runners and inactive participants.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study included 945 individuals (male <i>n</i> = 505 and female <i>n</i> = 440). These included both active (runners: run ≥ 10 km/week) and inactive (did not follow the WHO 2020 PA recommendations) individuals. Dependent variables were body composition parameters fat mass index (FMI) and visceral fat (VFA), measured using dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). A Hologic QDR (Horizon) bone densitometer was used for the measurement. Independent variables were AP values (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, BaP), for which lifetime exposure (LC_xp) was calculated. Volume physical activity (PA), eating habits, and cardiorespiratory fitness (V̇O_2peak) were analyzed as covariates.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The results showed that long-term exposure to AP was not associated with increased adiposity (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05). However, age (<i>p</i> = 0.000), sex (<i>p</i> = 0.000), and V̇O_2peak (<i>p</i> = 0.000) were associated with VFA. Values for VFA increased with age, males had higher VFA than females, and VFA values decreased with increasing V̇O_2peak (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) values. Furthermore, higher V̇O_2peak values were strongly associated with lower FMI (<i>p</i> = 0.000).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Adiposity was not associated with AP in the studied population. Adiposity was affected mainly by lifestyle and associated cardiorespiratory fitness presented by V̇O_2peak values.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12560158/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145379685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations of In Utero Exposure to Racial Violence and Reproductive Development: The Bogalusa Heart Study","authors":"Maria P. Santos,&nbsp;Maya David,&nbsp;Lydia Bazzano,&nbsp;Katrina Sims,&nbsp;Emily W. Harville","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70163","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study seeks to assess the association between in utero exposure to racial violence during the Civil Rights movement and pubertal development and fertility outcomes within the Bogalusa Heart Study population.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Utilizing a prospective cohort design, Bogalusa Heart Study participants born between 1960 and 1970 were categorized based on their gestational age during peak racial violence events in Bogalusa. Exposure was defined as being in utero during the first trimester during February–July 1965. Pubertal development was assessed using age at menarche for girls and Tanner staging at age 13 for boys (<i>n</i> = 1945) and girls (<i>n</i> = 1970). Fertility outcomes, including fertility issues and miscarriage, were obtained by self-report from the Bogalusa Babies study (2012–2016).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In utero exposure to racial violence was associated with earlier age at menarche in girls (−0.43 years, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and delayed pubertal development in boys (−0.54 Tanner stage at age 13; <i>p</i> = 0.02). An imprecise estimated increased odds of miscarriage (OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 0.92 to 4.47) and fertility issues (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 0.62 to 11.32) were observed. Analysis by race did not show a significant interaction.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In utero exposure to racial violence during the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with an earlier age at menarche in girls and slower pubertal development in boys. The findings underscore the importance of considering maternal stressors, specifically racial violence, in understanding variations in reproductive development.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajhb.70163","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145366988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In Memoriam: Dr. Gretel H. Pelto, Matriarch of Applied Nutritional and Medical Anthropology","authors":"Margaret Bentley,&nbsp;Miriam Chaiken,&nbsp;Darna Dufour,&nbsp;Edward A. Frongillo,&nbsp;Sera Young","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70160","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145366719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Earthquake-Related Trauma on Pubertal Maturation: Evidence From Skeletal Age Assessment Following the 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquakes","authors":"Nursezen Kavasoglu,&nbsp;Sabahattin Bor,&nbsp;Fundagul Bilgic Zortuk,&nbsp;Nihal Hamamci","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70161","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70161","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The devastating earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaras on February 6, 2023, caused significant psychosocial stress among children, which may have influenced the timing of pubertal onset. Since early puberty is associated with adverse physical and psychological outcomes, understanding the potential of environmental factors—such as natural disasters—to accelerate pubertal development is of great importance. In this retrospective study, a total of 1044 wrist radiographs taken from children aged 10–19 at four university dental faculties were evaluated. The radiographs were obtained during two time periods: pre-earthquake (February 6, 2022—February 6, 2023; <i>n</i> = 544) and postearthquake (February 6, 2023—February 6, 2024; <i>n</i> = 500). All images were assessed by a single expert using the skeletal maturation scale proposed by Grave and Brown. The MP3cap stage, which represents the peak of pubertal growth, was used as the main parameter. Due to the distribution of the data, nonparametric statistical tests were applied. In both female and male children, the age at the MP3cap stage after the earthquake was significantly lower compared to pre-earthquake values, indicating earlier pubertal growth spurts (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The findings indicate that the psychosocial stress induced by the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes may have accelerated pubertal development in children. These results underscore the importance of closely monitoring the growth and development of children affected by natural disasters and providing them with comprehensive psychosocial and medical support.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145349746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}