Associations Between Structural Stigma and Advanced Pubertal Development Persist for One Year Among Black Girls and Latinx Youth

Associations Between Structural Stigma and Advanced Pubertal Development Persist for One Year Among Black Girls and Latinx Youth

Racism--Health aspects--United States

Rachel M. Martino, Nathan L. Hollinsaid, Natalie L. Colich, Katie A. McLaughlin, Mark L. Hatzenbuehler

Scientific Reports (Sci Rep)

Vol. 15

2025

Nature Publishing Group (Springer Nature)

Journal article

English

20452322

United States

Open Access

Black and Latinx youth experience earlier pubertal timing relative to their non-stigmatized peers. Research on determinants of this increased risk has largely focused on aspects of individuals (e.g., body mass index) or their proximal environment (e.g., socioeconomic status), to the exclusion of broader macro-social factors. Using 2 years of Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study® data, we examined whether structural stigma (e.g., state-level policies, aggregated prejudicial attitudes) was associated with hormonal and physical markers of pubertal development. Baseline results documented earlier pubertal timing among Black girls (hormones) and Latinx girls and boys (youth and/or caregiver report) in states with higher (vs. lower) levels of structural racism and xenophobia, respectively. Observed associations were comparable in effect size to a well-established correlate of pubertal development, body mass index, and remained 1 year later among these stigmatized (vs. non-stigmatized) groups. Findings suggest the need to broaden the study of determinants of pubertal development to include macro-social factors.

Haley Lesemann