Abstract
BackgroundDeclining age at menarche has been observed in many countries. In China, a decrease of 4.5 months per decade in the average age at menarche among the majority Han girls has recently been reported. However, the trends in age at menarche among ethnic minority girls over the past 25 years remain unknown.ObjectivesTo compare the differences in median age at menarche among girls aged 9–18 years across 24 ethnic minorities in 2010 and to estimate the trends in age at menarche in different ethnic minorities from 1985 to 2010.DesignWe used data from six cross-sectional Chinese National Surveys on Students’ Constitution and Health (1985, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010). The median age at menarche was estimated by using probit analysis.ResultsIn 2010, the ethnic minorities with the earliest age at menarche were the Koreans (11.79 years), Mongolians (12.44 years), and Zhuang (12.52 years). The three ethnic minorities with the latest age at menarche were the Sala (14.32 years), Yi (13.74 years), and Uighurs (13.67 years). From 1985 to 2010, the age at menarche declined in all 24 minority groups. The Lisu, Kazakh, and Korean minorities showed the largest reductions in age at menarche by 1.79 (p<0.05), 1.69 (p<0.05), and 1.57 (p<0.05) years, respectively, from 1985 to 2010. The Yi, Sala, and Li minorities showed the smallest reductions, with age at menarche declining by only 0.06 (p>0.05), 0.15 (p>0.05), and 0.15 (p>0.05) years, respectively, in the same period.ConclusionA large variation in age at menarche was observed among different ethnic minorities, with the earliest age at menarche found among Korean girls. A reduction in the average age at menarche appeared among most of the ethnic minorities over time, and the largest decrease was observed in Lisu, Kazakh, and Korean girls. Thus, health education should focus on targeting the specific needs of each ethnic minority group.
Highlights
Declining age at menarche has been observed in many countries
The cluster analysis indicated that the 24 ethnic minorities in 2010 could be classified into three groups: Koreans were classified as the group having the youngest age at menarche; the Sala belonged to the group having the oldest age at menarche; and the other 22 ethnic minorities were classified in the middle group (Fig. 2)
body mass index (BMI) showed an inverse correlation with age at menarche (R0 (0.490) but, when age at menarche was adjusted for BMI in the cluster analysis, the classification of the various ethnic minority groups changed negligibly: Koreans and Mongolians were classified into the earlier age group, and the classifications of the other ethnic minorities were unchanged (Supplementary Fig. 1)
Summary
Declining age at menarche has been observed in many countries. In China, a decrease of 4.5 months per decade in the average age at menarche among the majority Han girls has recently been reported. The trends in age at menarche among ethnic minority girls over the past 25 years remain unknown. From 1985 to 2010, the age at menarche declined in all 24 minority groups. The Lisu, Kazakh, and Korean minorities showed the largest reductions in age at menarche by 1.79 (p B0.05), 1.69 (p B0.05), and 1.57 (p B0.05) years, respectively, from 1985 to 2010. The Yi, Sala, and Li minorities showed the smallest reductions, with age at menarche declining by only 0.06 (p !0.05), 0.15 (p !0.05), and 0.15 (p !0.05) years, respectively, in the same period. A reduction in the average age at menarche appeared among most of the ethnic minorities over time, and the largest decrease was observed in Lisu, Kazakh, and Korean girls. Health education should focus on targeting the specific needs of each ethnic minority group
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