Comparison of Body Mass Index between Pubertal and Prepubertal Females in Okrika

This research work is aimed at examining the effect of pubertal development on body fat in females. 920 female students drawn from 5 secondary schools in Okrika of Rivers State in Nigeria were used as respondents. 460 of these are pubertal while the other 460 are prepubertal. With the aid of a questionnaire, their pubertal or prepubertal status; i.e. presence of pubic hair and/or breast bud, commencement of menstruation was gotten. Their height and weight was also gotten. BMI was calculated for prepubertal and pubertal females and compared statistically. The mean BMI of pubertal females, 19.7, is arithmetically higher than that of prepubertal females, 17.7 and the difference between the mean BMI is very statistically significant (P<0.05). For each age, the BMI of pubertal females was found to be higher than that of prepubertal females and as exemplified by the age groups 12 years and 13 years, the differences between the mean BMI for each age was found to be significant (P<0.05). Irrespective of the pathway the respondents took to puberty, adrenarche or thelarche, the BMI of pubertal females were significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of prepubertal females. BMI significantly (P<0.05) increased with progression in pubertal development. The BMI of pubertal females is greater than the BMI of prepubertal females: hence pubertal females have greater body fat than prepubertal females. Females that have reached puberty and are undergoing pubertal development should be careful not to give in wholly to weight reduction programmes. Keywords: BMI, Pubertal, Prepubertal, Body fat