Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023.
World J Methodol. Jan 20, 2023; 13(1): 1-9
Published online Jan 20, 2023. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v13.i1.1
Table 1 Worldwide searches in English for precocious puberty-related terms vs time
Search terms
Tau (P value)
Puberty-related terms per se
“Puberty”+0.351 (< 0.001)
“Precocious puberty”+0.048 (0.250)
“Early puberty”+0.130 (< 0.001)
Body-related terms
“Hair”+0.114 (0.008)
“Pubic”-0.567 (< 0.001)
“Pubic hair”-0.499 (< 0.001)
“Axillary”+0.254 (< 0.001)
“Axillary hair”+0.146, (< 0.001)
“Height”+0.713 (< 0.001)
Female body-related terms
“Breast”-0.219 (< 0.001)
“Breast enlargement”-0.497 (< 0.001)
Menstruation-related terms
“Menarche”+0.125 (0.003)
“Menses”-0.556 (< 0.001)
“Period”+0.584 (< 0.001)
Male body-related terms
“Testes”+0.119 (0.004)
“Testicles”-0.506 (< 0.001)
“Testicular enlargement”+0.024 (0.601)
“Penis”-0.726 (< 0.001)
“Penis growth”-0.226 (< 0.001)
“Scrotum”-0.262 (< 0.001)
“Scrotum growth”-0.006 (0.881)
Table 2 Selected searches in English and local languages in countries where a rise in the reporting of precocious puberty has been reported vs time
Search terms
Tau (P value)
Italy (English & Italian)
“Precocious Puberty”NA
“Pubertà Precoce”+0.046 (0.292)
“Early puberty”NA
“Menarche”NA
“Menarca”+0.057 (0.169)
Turkey (English & Turkish)
“Precocious Puberty”NA
“Erken Ergenlik”+0.050 (0.248)
“Early puberty”NA
“Menarche”NA
“Menarş”+0.002 (0.996)
India (English, Marathi & Hindi)
“Precocious Puberty”+0.103 (0.014)
“Precocious Puberty (in Marathi)”+0.118 (0.004)
“Precocious Puberty (in Hindi)”NA
“Early puberty”+0.052 (0.240)
“Menarche”+0.371 (< 0.001)
“Menarche (in Marathi)”NA
“Menarche (in Hindi)”+0.041 (0.161)
Brazil (English & Portuguese)
“Precocious Puberty”NA
“Puberdade Precoce”+0.362 (< 0.001)
“Early puberty”NA
“Menarche”+0.002 (0.959)
“Menarca”+0.264 (< 0.001)
Spain (English & Spanish)
“Precocious Puberty”NA
“Pubertad precoz”-0.007 (0.862)
“Early puberty”NA
“Menarche”-0.006 (0.904)
“Menarquia”+0.038 (0.356)
South Korea (English & Korean)
“Precocious Puberty”-0.008 (0.427)
“Precocious Puberty (in Korean)”NA
“Menarche”0.012 (0.397)
“Menarche (in Korean)”0.011 (0.395)