Secondary sexual characteristics of stunted and non-stunted black South African boys living in a township in the North West Province

Abstract

It is known that sexual maturation is dependent on genetic and environmental factors and socio-economic status. The purpose of this study was to describe secondary sexual characteristics of stunted and non-stunted black South African boys from a low socio-economic status living in a township in the North West Province. A total of 129 boys aged 12 to 16 years participated in the study. Height and weight were measured according to the standard protocol suggested by the International Society of Kinanthropometry, and secondary sexual maturation on voice changes, pubic hair and genital stage development were assessed by Tanner stage questionnaire. The results show an increasing height and weight with age among the boys. Furthermore, the results show that the non-stunted boys reached pubertal development earlier than the stunted boys, which starts first with sign of voice breaking at age 13.04(SD2.90) years followed by pubic hair and genital development. In conclusion, the boys were at a less developed pubertal stage compared to boys of a similar age in other studies and stunted boys tended to be at an even earlier development stage than non-stunted boys of a similar age.