PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the sexual maturation, body image, and self-esteem of Korean elementary school girls with symptoms of precocious puberty compared to those with no symptoms of precocious puberty. METHODS The subjects were 309 girls of lower grades in elementary school. Tanner's Sexual Maturation Rating (SMR), Self Image Scale, and Self-esteem Scale were utilized to determine the presence of symptoms of precocious puberty, body image, and self esteem. Collected data were analyzed by Chi-square test, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA using the SPSS/WIN 17.0 program. RESULTS The percentage of the girls with breast development was 14.9%. Breast development usually began in the third grade (56.5%). Of the subjects, 0.3% were experiencing menstruation. Breast development was related to grade, age, height, weight, and a cause of worry. There was a significant difference of body image between girls with breast development in the first grade and in the second grade. CONCLUSION An effective intervention that can improve the self-image of children with symptoms of precocious puberty should be developed to prevent and treat physical and mental problems related to sexual maturation.
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