Sexual maturation and blood pressure levels of a biracial sample of girls
C. A. Kozinetz
Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex. 77030.
A cross-sectional survey of 142 black and 361 white girls was performed to
investigate whether differences in the timing of maturation account for
blood pressure differences between same-aged subjects. Data were collected
on blood pressure, anthropometric parameters, socioeconomic status, and
secondary sex characteristics. Analysis of covariance was used to determine
whether blood pressure for black and white girls differed significantly
after adjusting for the confounding effects of different body size and
sexual maturation distributions of the two groups. Advanced sexual
maturation of the black girls contributed as much as the larger body sizes
of the black girls to the blood pressure differences found between the
black and white girls. Assessment of an individual's stage of sexual
maturation at blood pressure measurement should be considered as important
as the measurement of height and weight.
