Association of Obesity with Growth and Pubertal Development in Iraqi Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: It has been said that overweight during childhood may disturb the normal pattern of somatic growth and sexual maturation. There is increasing evidence that adiposity influences both stature and the timing of pubertal onset, although the magnitude and direction of these effects may vary by sex. Such information among Iraqi children is lacking. Objective: To investigate the relationship between obesity, linear growth, and pubertal development in Iraqi children and adolescents. Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted in the Pediatric Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic of Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital from January 2021 to December 2025. The study involved 250 participants between 3 and 18 years of age. Nutritional status was assessed based on body mass index percentiles adjusted for age and sex, and participants were classified as obese or non-obese. Height and weight were measured in standard units, and pubertal staging was done by Tanner criteria. Postmenarchal girls gave details of their menstrual history. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics; p<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. as p < 0.05. Results: There were 250 children enrolled in this study. One hundred and thirty-six (54.4%) were males, and 114 (45.6%) were females. Only 26 (10.4%) children were found to be obese, whereas 224 (89.6%) children had normal or non-obese body mass index values. The children with obesity were taller on average and were at more advanced pubertal stages compared to their nonobese counterparts. For the girls, obesity was associated with earlier breast maturation and a lower age at menarche. For the boys, higher body mass index was associated with earlier genital development and larger testicular volume. There were positive correlations between body mass index and the indicators of pubertal progression. Conclusion: Childhood obesity was associated with higher values of stature and pubertal maturation in this Iraqi sample. Such findings emphasize the requirement for early identification and effective management of overweight to attain healthy growth and developmental outcomes.