FACTORS AFFECTING THE RECEDING AGE OF ONSET OF MENARCHE IN YOUNG GIRLS – AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: The time of first menarche is an important milestone in female sexual maturation. Studies have shown trends of decreasing age of menarche in most Indian states. Objective: To trace the factors associated with receding age at menarche and to evaluate the strength of association between those factors with receding age at menarche. Materials and methods: An observational study was done in the schools in Davangere from July 2018 to June 2019. 372 menstruating girls between the age of 9–15 years were included in the study. The participants data regarding chronological age, age of menarche, socioeconomic status, physical activity and diet were collected using a questionnaire. The anthropometric measurements were taken using standard techniques and general physical examination was done for all the participants. Results: The mean age of attainment of menarche was 11.94 ± 1.02 years. The study had a strong association between age at menarche and socioeconomic status (p<0.001). Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) was inversely and significantly associated with age of menarche (p<0.01). Conclusion: The world wide trends of declining age of menarche were seen in our study too. The factors affecting being mother’s age of menarche, BMI, Waist circumference and higher socioeconomic status. This underline that further evaluation of factors associated with it and studying future implications of lower age at menarche is important.