Abstract
Background: Menarche is the first menstrual period of a girl at puberty. The timing of menarche is significant for health in future life. Saudi Arabia has developed immensely over the last three decades as evidenced by the economic and health sectors throughout all parts of the vast Kingdom. The current study measured the menarche age of school adolescents Girls in Saudi Arabia and explored environmental factors that could impact the onset of menarche. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1486 healthy Saudi school adolescents’ girls between 10 - 19 years old. The data were collected in 2016 using self-administered questionnaires. Health status, dietary intake, physical activities and parent’s education were recorded along with other environmental factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.1. Results: Out of 1486, 767 girls (51.6%) had experienced menarche with a mean age of 12.46 ± 1.57; 681 girls (45.8%) had experienced menarche at age of 13 - 15; 38 girls (2.6%) had experienced menarche at age of 16. A significant association between menarche and social factors was detected. Besides, the study discovered a significant association between menarche and the lifestyle of the studied groups.
Highlights
The first menstrual cycle in the adolescent’s life is called menarche
1486 Saudi school adolescents’ girls between 10 - 19 years old from the five main regions of Saudi Arabia were targeted in this study
The results show that girls who live in their own houses have menarche at early and normal age; this could be related to the economic situation of the family
Summary
The first menstrual cycle in the adolescent’s life is called menarche. It is a late event of puberty and an important indicator of sexual maturation. This milestone typically occurs within two to three years after puberty onset and is characterized by thelarche, which is represented by the development of the mammary bud [1]. The timing of menarche is significant for health in future life. The current study measured the menarche age of school adolescents Girls in Saudi Arabia and explored environmental factors that could impact the onset of menarche. The data were collected in 2016 using self-administered questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.1. The study discovered a significant association between menarche and the lifestyle of the studied groups
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