Factors Influencing Early Puberty in School-Age Girls: A Comparative Study between Garmian and Sulaymaniyah Provinces, Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21928/uhdjst.v10n2y2026.pp59-67Keywords:
Precocious Puberty, Early Puberty, Early Menarche, School-age Girls, Iraqi GirlsAbstract
Precocious puberty in females is a growing public health concern due to potential harm to the child’s physical, psychological, and social development. Even though there is literature internationally that provides some possible causative factors, evidence within Iraq is still lacking, especially when it comes to regional variations and multiple environmental, genetic, and behavioral determinants. Hence, the main purpose of conducting this research is to describe factors associated with precocious puberty and compare regional variations among affected girls. In Iraqi girls from the Garmian and Sulaymaniyah provinces, 100 girls between the ages of 6 and 12 who had been diagnosed with early puberty participated in a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study design. The findings show significant regional variations in precocious puberty causes among Sulaymaniyah and Garmian’s schoolgirls, suggesting potential links between biological, environmental, and lifestyle factors and the issue. The results mentioned above can raise awareness and encourage more research on the problem in Iraq. Therefore, it is critical to identify and implement preventative interventions for Iraqi girls who are at risk of early puberty.
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