A young adolescent boy tells the nurse he "feels gawky." How should the nurse explain why this occurs in adolescents?

A) Growth of the extremities and neck precedes growth in other areas
B) Growth is in the trunk and chest
C) The hip and chest breadth increases
D) The growth spurt occurs earlier in boys than it does in girls

Growth in length of the extremities and neck precedes growth in other areas, and, because these parts are the first to reach adult length, the hands and feet appear larger than normal during adolescence. Increases in hip and chest breadth take place in a few months followed several months later by an increase in shoulder width. These changes are followed by increases in length of the trunk and depth of the chest. This sequence of changes is responsible for the characteristic long-legged, gawky appearance of early adolescent children. The growth spurt occurs earlier in girls than in boys.