Research Review: On the (mis)use of puberty data in the ABCD Study® - a systematic review, problem illustration, and path forward.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development^SM (ABCD) Study® has significant potential to reveal the nature, causes, context, and consequences of pubertal development in diverse American youth. Optimal use of the data requires thoughtful consideration of puberty: how it is likely to affect psychological and neural development, and its measurement. We examined how ABCD puberty data have been used, and the relative advantages of two measures derived from the Pubertal Development Scale: the categorical measure provided in data releases and a continuous measure widely used outside ABCD.

Methods

First, we conducted a review of published studies using ABCD puberty data through December 2024, following PRISMA guidelines. Two independent raters coded the studies

SUBMITTER: Beltz AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12699133 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature