Publication date: Jun 19, 2025
To evaluate the nutritional status and dietary patterns of girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) undergoing treatment with leuprolide acetate during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 59 girls, aged 5-13 years, diagnosed with CPP and treated with leuprolide acetate. Between May and December 2021, a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a 24-hour dietary recall (24-h DR) were administered. The ForncE9s score was used to quantify consumption markers of healthy (beans, fruits, vegetables, and greens) and unhealthy (hamburgers, sugar-sweetened beverages, ultra-processed foods, and sweets) foods. Higher scores reflected greater intake of the respective food groups. Of the participants, 31 (52. 5%) showed a reduction in their BMI Z-score (mean change: -0. 32 +/- 0. 26), while 28 (47. 5%) had an increase (mean change: 0. 25 +/- 0. 22). Girls who reduced their BMI Z-score had significantly higher ForncE9s scores for healthy food markers (p = 0. 02), particularly for fresh fruits (p = 0. 04) and greens and vegetables (p = 0. 01). A negative correlation was found between BMI Z-score variation and the ForncE9s score for healthy food markers (p = 0. 02), including fruits (p = 0. 02) and greens and vegetables (p = 0. 02). No significant associations were observed between BMI Z-score variation and age at treatment onset (p = 0. 22) or treatment duration (p = 0. 43). In girls with CPP treated with leuprolide acetate, greater consumption of healthy foods-especially fruits and vegetables-was associated with decreased BMI Z-scores. These findings underscore the role of dietary quality in energy balance and support nutritional monitoring during GnRHa therapy, particularly under lifestyle-altering conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Beans | COVID-19 |
| Girls | dietary pattern |
| Hamburgers | leuprolide |
| Pandemic | nutritional status |
| precocious puberty |