Question

The nurse is assessing the Tanner stage in an adolescent female. The nurse recognizes that the stages are based on which?

a. The stages of vaginal changes
b. The progression of menstrual cycles to regularity
c. Breast size and the shape and distribution of pubic hair
d. The development of fat deposits around the hips and buttocks

Answer 1

The Tanner stages assess breast development and pubic hair distribution, tracking puberty progression in adolescent females from initial growth to maturity.

The Tanner stages on which the nurse bases her assessment of an adolescent female are primarily concerned with breast development and the shape and distribution of pubic hair. The Tanner stages do not focus on vaginal changes, the progression of menstrual cycles, or the development of fat deposits per se.

Instead, they categorize the physical changes of puberty in females into five stages that delineate the progression of breast growth from stage II to IV and the increase in the density of pubic hair from stage II onwards, culminating in their mature adult form.