Trayectorias hormonales asociadas con la edad a la menarca y el aumento de peso en niñas originarias Qom/Toba

In this exploratory study, we analyzed the hormonal and growth trajectories of 61 Qom/Toba girls aged 8 to 14 years from a peri-urban community in Formosa, Argentina. Monthly measurements of weight and height were taken, and eight urine samples were collected every three months until the menarche was reported or until the end of the study. The urine samples were analyzed using enzyme immunoassay to determine testosterone and C-peptide levels. Bayesian Gompertz models were used to generate predicted hormonal and anthropometric growth parameters for statistical analysis. The model results suggest that early menarche and a higher overall body mass index (BMI) velocity during puberty were associated with rapid increases in C-peptide levels in the early stages of puberty but not with higher initial levels of these variables. It was predicted that most girls would maintain their initial BMI status throughout puberty while 10% would transition from overweight to a healthy weight, and 15% from healthy weight to overweight or obesity. Neither predicted adult height nor growth velocity showed a statistically significant association with BMI velocity, although growth velocity was positively correlated with C-peptide and testosterone levels up to age 11. These f indings underscore the importance of longitudinal data in understanding the heterogeneous patterns of pubertal growth and obesity risks within and across populations.