Study Finds That Air Pollution May Contribute to Early-Onset Puberty for Girls

Dr. Gaskins

A new study by researchers from Emory University and Harvard University has found a connection between childhood exposure to air pollution and the age at which U.S. girls experienced their first periods.

The study collected data from more than 5,200 girls across the United States. Researchers found that girls who had higher residential exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution throughout their childhoods tended to have their first periods sooner. The average age of girls’ first periods is believed to have declined by three of four years over the past century.

Why does this matter? Girls who have their first periods at an earlier age face increased risk for several diseases later during their lifetime, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Audrey Gaskins, the study’s senior author and associate professor of epidemiology at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health stated that “our study highlights one potential environmental factor — particulate matter air pollution — that may help explain the trend of earlier ages of menarche being observed over the past 50 years. While more research is necessary, it suggests that early life environmental exposures may play a key role in dictating the pace of reproductive development in girls.”

The full study, “Exposure to Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Age of Menarche in a Nationwide Cohort of U.S. Girls,” was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. It may be accessed here.