Korean Journal of Child Care and Education Policy
[2022. 16-2] Effect of Teen Girls’ Pubertal Timing on Internalizing Problems: Body Image and Maternal Stress as Mediators
Effect of Teen Girls’ Pubertal Timing on Internalizing Problems: Body Image and Maternal Stress as Mediators
Hayeon Park, Sunmin Eun, Yookyeong Park, Kangyi Lee
This study examined the effect of pubertal timing on internalizing problems among teenage girls, and verified the role of body image and maternal stress as potential mediators. Accordingly, 549 pairs of Grade 5 girls and their mothers were selected as participants from 12th year data of the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC). The participants were categorized into two groups according to pubertal timing: early-maturing and normal maturing. The major findings of the study are : First, body image and maternal stress showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Compared to normally-maturing girls, early-maturing girls displayed worse body image and higher levels of maternal stress. Second, the calculated model fit indices of the structural equation model analysis were reasonable. Interestingly, girls’ pubertal timing had only a significant indirect effect on internalizing problems. Third, the mediating effects of body image and maternal stress were statistically significant. Our results highlight the importance of understanding the vulnerability of early-maturing girls. The findings also suggest that efforts to support early-maturing girls to develop positive body image and encourage their mothers to manage daily stress would be an effective way to prevent girls from internalizing problems.
Keywords: puberty, early maturation, body image, maternal stress, internalizing problems