Age at menarche and comparison of the growth and performance of pre- and post-menarcheal girls in China.

Abstract

The median menarcheal ages (MMAs) of Chinese girls in 1991 were calculated by using the status quo method and probit analysis in 64,322 schoolgirls 8-18 years of age. The sample was randomly selected from 29 provinces of China. The MMAs were 13.01 ± 1.19 and 13.64 ± 1.24 years for urban and rural girls, respectively. These estimates were 0.16 and 0.20 years lower than that of Chinese urban and rural girls in 1985, respectively. The associations between growth status and the timing of menarche were also analyzed by comparing of 10 indicators of somatic growth and motor ability between the pre- and post-menarcheal girls. Early maturers consistently have high means of stature, weight, and vital capacity than late maturers. By contrast, the late maturers tend to have a linear physique and more potential of increasing stature and lower limbs into late adolescence. Late maturers also tend to have more potential in catching up in motor abilities, which were inferior to those of early maturers during early adolescence. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 9:205-212, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.