Developmental Psychology News

Poverty may trigger earlier puberty in girls, shaping later mental health and academics

A longitudinal study of nearly 10,000 children starting at age 9 found that household and neighborhood disadvantage predicted earlier pubertal onset in both sexes, but in girls this earlier puberty partly explained later anxiety, behavioral issues, and lower grades by age 12; boys showed earlier puberty without the same outcome link, and puberty tempo slowed later, complicating the association. The researchers note small effect sizes but potential population-level impact and call for earlier-starting research.