Adolescent girls with higher trunk fat and trunk‐to‐peripheral skinfold ratio reach menarche early

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine whether the type of fat distribution predicts the age at which girls reach menarche. A group of 67 prepubertal girls of Asian, Caucasian, and mixed Eurasian ancestry identified from an HMO membership were examined to assess if fat distribution at baseline would affect age at reaching menarche. Girls were examined twice with a 2‐year interval, with 39 reaching menarche. Tanner stage was assessed by a nurse practitioner and height, weight, circumferences and skinfold thicknesses were measured by a standardized experienced staff. Cox regression analysis of time until menarche was used, adjusting for baseline age and proportion of Asian ancestry. Girls with higher body mass index reached menarche early (p = 0.0021). With adjustment for height, shorter time to reach menarche was associated with greater hip circumference (p = 0.0039), iliac skinfold thickness (p = 0.0109), and trunk‐to‐peripheral skinfold ratio (p = 0.0052) measured at baseline. The sum of subscapular and iliac skin fold thicknesses was significantly associated with age at menarche (p = 0.0274) but not the sum of two arm and two leg skinfold thicknesses (p = 0.2424). In conclusion girls with higher fat deposition in the trunk tend to reach menarche early in this cohort of adolescent girls.[Supported by USDA, Grant # 9900700].