SynthesisFrontiers in endocrinology2025
The relationship between childhood obesity and male puberty development: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Same ages, different stages: Pubertal development in 9- and 10-year olds is associated with entropy of fMRI signals.Developmental cognitive neuroscience · 2026Article
- Association between childhood weight status and timing of puberty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Translational pediatrics · 2026Article
- Hypothalamic neuroimmune remodeling as an immunometabolic bridge between childhood obesity and earlier pubertal onset.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the risks and physiological development differences during puberty in overweight and obese boys. Methods: Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and AMSTAR criteria, we systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, with a cutoff date of July 2025. After applying strict inclusion and exclusion criteria and performing quality assessments, statistical analysis was conducted using STATA 17.0 and Review Manager (version 5.4). Results: A total of 12 prospective cohort studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis indicated that overweight boys had a significantly higher risk of early testicular enlargement compared to normal-weight boys (overweight RR 1.38, obese RR 1.43). Regional differences were observed, with significant variations in the association between overweight status and early testicular enlargement risk in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific regions. Overweight and obese boys older than 6 years had a stronger association with early testicular enlargement. Furthermore, overweight boys experienced an earlier onset of early testicular enlargement compared to normal-weight boys (MD -0.23, p=0.002), while no significant difference was observed in obese boys (MD -0.23, p=0.10). In terms of pubic hair development, overweight (RR 1.24, p<0.00001) and obese boys (RR 1.42, p<0.00001) were at a higher risk for early development, and overweight boys developed pubic hair earlier (MD -0.38, p=0.0008). No significant difference was found in peak height velocity between obese and normal-weight boys (MD -0.32, p=0.09). Conclusion: Overweight and obesity have notable effects on male puberty development, particularly with respect to early testicular enlargement and pubic hair development. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier, CRD420251172699.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.