Randomized trial compares psychological outcomes in children with and without central precocious puberty, indicating early-life stress impacts mental health.
Key Points
This research aims to compare psychological well-being in children with and without central precocious puberty before and after onset.
Participants included 1699 girls aged 6–14 years and 892 boys aged 9–17 years from Taiwan pubertal longitudinal study.
Psychological outcomes assessed using multivariable regression models, adjusting for sex, bone age, and BMI Z-score.
Structural equation modeling explored links between stress, obesity, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms.
Before puberty, children with CPP had higher perceived stress and lower self-esteem than peers.
After puberty onset, CPP in girls was associated with lower stress, fewer depressive symptoms, and higher self-esteem; no significant changes were noted in boys.
SEM results indicated perceived stress was linked to higher BMI Z-scores, positively associated with CPP risk.