A 2008 report suggested that the rise in the incidence of breast ironing is due to the earlier onset of puberty, caused by dietary improvements in Cameroon over the previous 50 years. Half of Cameroonian girls who develop under the age of nine have their breasts ironed, and 38% of those who develop before eleven.
A 2008 report suggests that the increase in breast ironing is linked to earlier puberty onset in Cameroon, which has been attributed to improved nutrition over the past fifty years. Half of Cameroonian girls who experience puberty before age nine undergo breast ironing, and 38% of those who develop before eleven do so.