Sexual maturation of Jerusalem schoolgirls and its association with socio-economic factors and ethnic group.

A status quo study was undertaken in Jerusalem, Israel in 1977 in order to determine the mean age of attainment of breast stages 2 and 3 (B2 and B3), pubic hair stages 2 and 3 (PH2 and PH3), and menarche. A sample of 285 Jewish girls in grades 3 through 8 were examined for signs of pubertal development and questioned about their menarcheal status. The data were analysed by probit analysis. The mean age found for B2 was 10.30 +/- 0.28 years; for B3 was 11.01 +/- 0.16 years; for PH2 was 10.58 +/- 0.22 years; for PH3 was 11.39 +/- 0.11 years; and for menarche was 13.29 +/- 0.45 years. These are the first data available on an Israeli population of mean age of breast and pubic hair development. A trend was found for later mean age of attainment of B2, B3, PH2 and PH3 among girls of the lowest social class (as measured by father's occupation), girls whose mothers were poorly educated, and girls from large families. A trend towards early mean age of attainment of B2 and B3 was found among girls of European-American-Israeli ethnic origin and towards early mean age of attainment of PH2 and PH3 among girls of Near Eastern origin.