DOI: 10.33631/sabd.1961746 ISSN: 2792-0542

Assessment of Family Physicians’ Knowledge, Awareness, and Management Approaches Concerning Precocious Puberty in Primary Care

Banu Turhan, Ayşe Derya Buluş, Meşide Gündüzöz, Mehmet Ali Sungur
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Aim: Precocious puberty (PP) is increasingly common and needs early recognition and referral in primary care. This study evaluated family physicians’ knowledge, awareness, and attitudes regarding PP, including diagnosis, etiology, endocrine disruptors, diagnostic methods, and treatment, as well as their association with clinical training.Material and Methods: This cross-sectional, survey-based study included 157 family physicians (residents and specialists) working in primary care. A structured questionnaire consisting of 17 multiple-choice questions was developed based on current literature and expert review. The survey assessed physicians’ sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of PP definition and age thresholds, recognition of clinical signs, awareness of etiological and environmental risk factors, use of Tanner staging, diagnostic approaches, referral practices, and treatment perspectives.Results: A total of 157 physicians were included; 68.2% were residents and 31.8% were specialists. Physicians completing both pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology rotations more often identified the correct PP age limits for girls and boys (p<0.001 and p=0.022) and had higher awareness of clinical signs, causes, Tanner staging, referral, test ordering, and the effectiveness of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) therapy (p≤0.006). Compared with residents, specialists more often referred suspected cases to pediatric endocrinology and recognized GnRHa effectiveness, with differences most evident in rotation-based analyses.Conclusion: Although family physicians possess basic knowledge of PP, substantial differences exist in awareness of male pubertal findings, endocrine disruptors, and diagnostic and treatment approaches. Structured training in pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology may be associated with greater awareness and support early recognition, appropriate referral, and preventive care in primary healthcare settings.

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