Sexual Maturation, Attitudes towards Sexual Maturity, and Body Esteem in Elementary-School Children

PURPOSEThe purpose of this study is to evaluate sexual maturation, attitudes toward sexual maturity, and body esteem in the sexual development of Korean elementary-school boys and girls. METHODSA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 399 fifth and sixth graders (192 boys and 207 girls). The data were analysed with a χ2 test, t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTSAmong the 207 girls, 70.5% had pubic hair growth, 68.1% had breast development, and 56.0% had a menstrual period. In boys, 59.4% of the 192 subjects experienced the development of external genitalia and 52.6% had pubic hair growth. Sexual maturation was related to grade (boys, t=7.07, p=.008; girls, t=12.76, p < .001), age (t=-2.20, p=.030; t=-4.11, p < .001), height (t=-5.16, p < .001; t=-7.52, p < .001), and weight (t=-2.89, p=.004; t=-5.19, p < .001) in both boys and girls. Girls were more likely to have sexual maturity than boys (χ2=22.29, p < .001). Boys showed more positive attitudes toward sexual maturity (t=2.10, p=.036) and higher body esteem (t=2.12, p=.035) than girls. CONCLUSIONThis study shows that sexual maturation, attitude toward sexual maturity, and body esteem in sexual development differ between boys and girls. The findings indicate that it is necessary to develop a tailored sex-education program according to the sex of elementary-school children.