A new efficient method to monitor precocious puberty nationwide in France

Clinical precocious puberty (PP) is a disease, reputed to be on the increase and suspected to be linked to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) exposure. Population-based epidemiological data are lacking in France and scarce elsewhere. We accessed the feasibility of monitoring PP nationwide in France in this context, using a nationwide existing database, the French National Health Insurance Information System. Here, we present the method we used with a step-by-step approach to build and select the most suitable indicator. We built three indicators reflecting the incidence of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP), the most frequent form of PP, and we compared these indicators according to their strengths and weaknesses with respect to surveillance purposes. Conclusion: monitoring ICPP in France proved feasible using a Drug reimbursement indicator. Our method is cost efficient and highly relevant in public health surveillance. Our step-by-step approach proved helpful to achieve this project and could be proposed for assessing the feasibility of monitoring health outcomes of interest using existing data bases.

Author(s): Rigou A, Le Moal J, Leger J, Le Tertre A, Carel JC

Publishing year: 2017

Pages: 5 p.

In relation to

Our latest news

news

Call for Applications for the Renewal of the Editorial Board of the Weekly...

news

Launch of the “Heating, Health, Buildings, and Urban Planning” Network:...

news

2026 “Sexual Behavior” Survey (ERAS) for men who have sex with men