ABSTRACT
The present cross sectional study investigated the growth and sexual maturation of adolescents of Jukun and Kuteb ethnic groups of Taraba State. The aim of the study was to assess growth and sexual maturation of the Jukun and Kuteb adolescents. The mean menarcheal age of the respondents was estimated, while also assessing their nutritional status. Results of the growth parameters and anthropometric measurements of the adolescents showed no statistical significant difference based on ethnicity, but there was statistical significant difference based on sex in most of the variables. The plotted growth curves of BMI, height and weight of the population with international references showed that the boys had lower values than the reference population, while the girls from both ethnic groups had values similar, and in some cases such as BMI higher than the reference population. The nutritional assessment of the population also showed that the prevalence of stunting, thinness and overweight among boys and girls was 22.4%,11.7 % and 1.1 % in boys, and 2.9%, 1.1 % and 3.9 % in girls respectively. Results of the study showed late maturation among the adolescents, especially among males. The mean age at onset of sexual maturation in pubic hair was 11.77 � 0.87 for Jukun boys and 11.88 � 1.42 for Kuteb boys. For females, it was 11.25 � 0.90 for Jukun girls and 11.50�1.14 for Kuteb girls.Age at onset of breast development for females was 11.17 � 1.04 (Jukun) and 11.12 � 1.11 (Kuteb) respectively. For males, age at entry of genital development was 11.65� 0.86 (Jukun) and 11.65 � 1.43 (Kuteb). Age at completion of sexual development in PH and BS for females was 17.68� 1.43 and 17.63� 1.43 (Jukun); 17.80 � 1.59 and 17.44 � 1.68 (Kuteb) respectively. For males it was 18.09� 1.40 and 18.23� 1.31 (Jukun), 18.21� 1.25 and 18.13 � 1.38 (Kuteb). Comparison of the sexual maturity rating with height and weight of this study population showed that girls were shorter than the boys in both PHS and GS_BS stages except during PHS 1. Boys tend to be weightier than girls in stage 5 of PHS and GS_BS only, the girls had xvii higher values in the other stages. The girls of this study also had BMI and % body fat values significantly higher than the boys at each stage of the PHS and GS_BS. The Hand and Foot anthropometry showed that boys from the two ethnic groups showed statistically significant higher values than their female counterparts. Linear regression models for estimating sexual maturity rating from anthropometric variables of adolescents from each ethnic group were generated.The present study showed that the age at onset of maturation for pubic hair and genital/breast stage was early and compared favorably with other studies, but there was late maturation into adult size in both the boys and girls.