SELF-ASSESSMENT AND PHYSICIAN ASSESSMENT OF SEXUAL-MATURATION IN BRAZILIAN BOYS AND GIRLS - CONCORDANCE AND REPRODUCIBILITY

This study considered the concordance of self-assessment and physician assessment of sexual maturity status; breasts, and pubic hair in girls, and genitals and pubic hair in boys. The subjects were Brazilian children, youth and young adults, 174 females and 178 males, 6-26 years of age. Each subject evaluated his/her level of sexual maturation and then was examined by a physician. The sexual maturity ratings of the subjects and physicians were compared. Overall, the results showed moderate to high concordance (60.9-71.3%) for both assessments of secondary sex characteristics; better concordance was found for pubic hair (69.7-71.3%) than for the breasts or genitals (60%). Age did not appear to influence the accuracy of self-evaluation; rather, accuracy was more dependent on stage of maturation of the subject. Correlations between self- and physician assessments, and replicate self- and physician assessments were relatively high. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.