A new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health has linked high stress, high levels of key steroid hormones, and a higher body mass index (BMI) to early puberty for girls. These three factors can speed up the process of puberty, from breast development to menstruation. Girls with higher levels of stress and higher BMIs have been found to experience puberty, on average, about seven months earlier than those with lower levels of stress hormones.
Girls in the United States are getting their first menstrual cycle earlier and earlier, specifically under the age of 12. Black girls, on average, already experience puberty earlier than white girls. They also tend to have higher levels of stress and BMIs. These factors, in conjunction with each other, could potentially increase their risk for developing breast cancer later in life.
Early puberty, also known as precocious puberty, is when a girl begins to experience puberty before the age of 8. This includes early thelarche (breast development) or early adrenarche (menstruation). Not only can early puberty cause physical and social discomfort, but it can also have negative consequences on a girl’s mental health.
While there is no specific known cause, the researchers of this study have found that early puberty is more likely to be initiated if a girl experiences factors like high stress or a higher body mass index.
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Columbia’s longitudinal cohort study drew data from the five-year LEGACY Girls Study at the University, which included 1,040 girls aged 6 to 13. They were selected from New York, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Salt Lake City, and Toronto, Canada. Every six months, the girls participated in a follow-up with height and weight measurements.
For this analysis, the researchers studied data from 327 eligible girls, specifically those who were pre-pubescent at the beginning of the study. The study does not mention the girls’ racial or ethnic demographics.
“Our objective was to identify the full set of hormonal patterns linked to accelerated puberty and test whether BMI and stress modify this relationship,” said Lauren Houghton, PhD, assistant professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University, and first author of the study, in a news release. “We predicted that girls with elevated BMI and stress would experience the earliest onset — and that the stress response shifts during this key time for girls.”
While estrogen has long been assumed to be the key factor in determining female puberty, this study found that three hormones in particular were crucial for breast development: glucocorticoids (stress hormones), progesterone, and androgens.
“While stress and BMI have long been recognized as independent predictors of puberty, few studies have examined how they interact with a girl’s hormones,” Dr. Houghton said. “Our findings challenge conventional research that has largely focused on estrogen and body size, highlighting instead the role of stress and androgens — typically thought of as male hormones — in shaping pubescent development.”
Earlier breast development has already been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. The study found that, conversely, girls with higher levels of estrogen, the typically higher hormone for females, experienced later breast development and menarche, or their first period.
Of the girls in this study, 51 percent had a family history of breast cancer. The results were consistent whether or not the girl had a family history of breast cancer.
In a 2025 Columbia news release, Dr. Houghton explained how an earlier onset of puberty and breast development has been linked to higher risks of breast cancer.
“Puberty is a critical window for when the breast is developing, and understanding the hormonal shifts happening during this period is key to understanding their connection to breast cancer,” Dr. Houghton said. “Because breast cancer often takes years to develop, when we see cases in younger women, it speaks to the importance of the adolescent period and what happens during that time that could be driving some of these trends we’re seeing.”
For Black girls and their parents, these findings could be crucial to understanding early puberty and breast cancer risk. While Black women are not more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than white women, they are more likely to die from it. Lowering your child’s overall stress and ensuring a healthy body weight may be a key to decreasing their risk of early puberty, which could overall lower their risk of breast cancer.
For parents of young Black girls, it’s vital to prioritize open communication with your child about their health, both physical and mental. This may mean helping them stay active, maintain a healthy weight, and advocating for them at doctor’s visits to ensure they receive the mental and physical support they need during the stressful and pivotal process of puberty.
This Columbia study emphasizes the importance of pediatric health, including the mental and physical well-being of girls as they enter and experience puberty. Black girls overall deal with higher stress, higher body mass indexes, and earlier puberty, all of which can increase their risk of developing early puberty, which can increase the risk of breast cancer.
This study is another example of the importance of clinical studies and the participation of members of the Black community. The more contributions to research, the more researchers can understand Black health.
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