Ain't I A Woman?: Assessing Racial Differences in Female Puberty as They Relate to Environmental Chemical Exposure

Abstract

Entrance into puberty leaves females straddling the treacherous divide between woman and child. While puberty is often not considered a major health concern, the stage at which an individual puberty has the potential to increase a female's susceptible to health issues such as depression and breast cancer. Furthermore, the racial differences seen in puberty have the potential to lead to inequitable health outcomes. Using data from the longitudinal Fragile Families Study and EPA derived environmental hazard scores, this study will seek to analyze the potential correlation between environmental exposures and trends in female puberty. Preliminary research has shown that there is a correlation between exposures and various pubertal measures, including age at menarche, when controlling for social environment. This is important because it brings to light that ways in which structural inequalities can manifest themselves at the biological level.