Introduction: Puberty is a period between childhood and adulthood that the complex process by which children develop secondary sexual characteristics and complete with development of sexual and reproductive capability. This study was conducted to determine pattern of puberty in girls who lived in Ahvaz, Iran.
Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 1680 girls age 5-15 in Ahvaz, Iran in 2013. Participants were selected by random cluster sampling. Secondary sexual characteristic were evaluated clinically by inspection and palpation. Age of menarche was asked. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 anddescriptive statistical tests.
Findings: The mean age of tanner 2 of breast development (B2) and tanner 2 of pubic hair growth (PH2) was 9.52 and 9.82, respectively. The mean age of menarche in 566 girls (33.69%) was 11.86. Of 1680 girls, 1619 (96.4%) had normal puberty, 15 girls (6.1%) precocious puberty and 2 girls (2.1%) had delayed puberty.
Conclusion: According to the findings, the age of onset of puberty was lower in compare of studies which were done in Iran and the world. Present study can provide baseline data for analysis of time trends, as well as for international comparisons.