Trend In Menarcheal Age Research Articles

Secular trend in age at menarche among Indian women

Age at menarche is not only a parameter that signifies biological characteristics for women but is also considered as an indicator to measure the quality of life of a population. Moreover, menarche has significant implications on women’s health and information about menarcheal age is crucial for health policymakers. However, little is known about the trends in menarcheal age in India. Thus, in order to fill this research gap, the present study aimed to explore the age at menarche, its trend and regional heterogeneity among Indian women. A birth cohort approach was used by polling data from the 1st (1992–93), 4th (2015–16) and 5th (2019–21) rounds of NFHS. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were performed to present the distribution of age at menarche and mean age at menarche across birth cohorts and each category of covariates. A multiple linear regression model was fitted to examine the trend in age at menarche and further to investigate the association of covariates with menarcheal age among Indian women. The analysis demonstrated that a majority of women (66.2%) attained menarche between the ages of 13–14 years. Moreover, about 17.2% of women experienced an early age at menarche, whereas 16.7% of women had a late age at menarche. The mean age at menarche for the sampled women was 13.49 years. The analysis also observed a secular declining trend in menarcheal age among Indian women and a significant variation in the mean age at menarche across birth cohorts. It also highlighted significant socio-economic patterning in menarcheal age among women.

Age at menarche in Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a look at changes since 1960s.

Menarche is delayed in patients with type 1 diabetic mellitus (T1DM) compared to non-diabetics. The purpose of this survey study was to define the age of onset of menarche in Japanese patients with T1DM, as well the secular trends in menarcheal age across the period of 1976-2020 and determine the effects of T1DM and disease management on that age. The study subjects (n = 155) were recruited from among Japanese T1DM patients who visited the outpatient clinic of the Department of Pediatrics, Osaka City University Hospital. The study subjects experienced menarche during 1976-2020. They were divided into the menarche-post-T1DM group (n = 117) and the menarche-pre-T1DM group (n = 38), in whom menarche occurred after or before the diagnosis of T1DM, respectively. The time of birth was also stratified into five decade/time bins extending from 1960s to 2000s. The subjects filled a questionnaire on menarche. Other clinical information was obtained from the medical records. The median age at menarche was 12.5 years (11.3-13.4) (25th-75th percentile) for the menarche-post-T1DM group and 11.8 years (10.9-13.0) for the menarche-pre-T1DM group (p = 0.024). Menarche occurred at a significantly younger age in recent years in the menarche-post-T1DM group (r = -0.209, p = 0.023), but no such trend was found in the control group. Analysis of data of subjects born after 1990 still showed significant delay associated with T1DM [post-T1DM group: 12.3 years (11.3-13.2), pre-T1DM group: 11.8 years (11.0-12.2), p = 0.045]. The results suggest that recent advances in insulin therapy seem to improve metabolism under T1DM but might have not enough impact on menarche in Japanese girls.

Trend of Menarcheal Age among Korean Girls.

BackgroundMenarcheal age has been decreasing worldwide. However, few recent studies have observed trends in menarcheal age in larger populations, and the cutoff age for early menarche remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to analyze recent trends of menarcheal age and to determine the cutoff age of early menarche based on nationally representative data.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of 351,006 Korean girls aged 12–18 years who were born in 1988–2003 based on the data of the 2006–2015 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey. We identified the distribution of age at menarche using the complex sample Cox regression model. Trends in the prevalence of early menarche were determined using the complex sample linear model.ResultsNinety-five percent of all the participants reported they had experienced menarche. The mean menarcheal age was 13.0 years (95% confidence intervals [CIs], 12.92–13.04) for girls born in 1988 and decreased to 12.6 years (95% CI, 12.54–12.61) for girls born in 2003. The cutoff age (the 3rd percentile value) for early menarche was 10.5 years during the study period. The prevalence of early menarche significantly increased from 1.8% in 2006 to 3.2% in 2015 (P-for-trend < 0.001). Downward trends of menarcheal age were noted across all body mass index groups, and this trend was most prominent in the obese group.ConclusionWe reported an ongoing downward trend in menarcheal age in Korean girls born in 1988–2003, decreasing by 0.4 years over the 15 years.

What does the mean menarcheal age mean?-An analysis of temporal pattern in variability in a historical swiss population from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Age at menarche is one of the most important factors when observing growth and development. The aim of this study was to assess the temporal pattern in variability of menarcheal age for a historic Swiss population from the 19th and 20th centuries. Medical health records from the Bernese women's hospital (Switzerland) were analyzed. From 10,081 women of a historical Swiss population (born from 1815 to 1954), menarcheal age was calculated. A possible decline in average menarcheal age and variance and skewness were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics, generalized additive models, and correlation. Mean menarcheal age declined from 17.34 years (n = 358) around 1830 to 13.80 years (n = 141) around 1950. Within-cohort variance decreased from 7.5 to 2.1 year(2) . Skewness was negatively correlated with birth year (r = -0.58). This study provided evidence for a secular trend in various statistical parameters for age at menarche since the 19th century. Furthermore, the results of the analysis of temporal pattern in variability revealed that the secular trend in menarcheal age happened in two phases. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:705-713, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Decline in menarcheal age among Saudi girls.

Objectives:To estimate age at menarche and to assess trends in menarcheal age among Saudi women.Methods:A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among healthy prepubertal female school children and adolescents from September 2006 to July 2012 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Study participants were invited from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Tanner stage, height, weight, body mass index, and socioeconomic parameters including parent’s level of education were collected. Age at menarche was compared with maternal age at menarche.Results:The study included 265 girls and mothers. Mean±standard deviation (SD) age at menarche for girls was 13.08 ± 1.1 years, and their distribution category across the ≤10 years was 4 (1.5%), 11-14 years was 239 (90.2%), and ≥15 years was 22 (8.3%) girls. Anthropometric measurements, mother’s level of education, and family income were not statistically significant determining factors associated with age at menarche. Mean ± SD age at menarche for mothers was 13.67 ± 1.4 years, and their distribution category across the ≤10 years was 7 (2.6%), 11-14 years was 172 (64.9%), and ≥15 years was 86 (32.5%). Girls attained menarche at younger age compared with their mothers (p<0.0001). A downward secular trend in age of menarche was observed (Cuzick test for trend = 0.049).Conclusion:Saudi girls attain menarcheal age earlier than their mothers, reflecting a downward secular trend in menarcheal age.

Secular trends in menarcheal age in India-evidence from the Indian human development survey.

BackgroundEvidence from a number of countries in Europe and North America point towards the secular declining trend in menarcheal age with considerable spatial variations over the past two centuries. Similar trends were reported in several developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America. However, data corroborating any secular trend in the menarcheal age of the Indian population remained sparse and inadequately verified.MethodsWe examined secular trends, regional heterogeneity and association of socioeconomic, anthropometric and contextual factors with menarcheal age among ever-married women (15–49 years) in India. Using the pseudo cohort data approach, we fit multiple linear regression models to estimate secular trends in menarcheal age of 91394 ever-married women using the Indian Human Development Survey.ResultsThe mean age at menarche among Indian women was 13.76 years (95 % CI: 13.75, 13.77) in 2005. It declined by three months from 13.83 years (95% CI: 13.81, 13.85) among women born prior to 1955–1964, to nearly 13.62 years (95% CI: 13.58, 13.67) among women born during late 1985–1989. However, these aggregate national figures mask extensive spatial heterogeneity as mean age at menarche varied from 15.0 years in Himachal Pradesh during 1955–1964 (95% CI: 14.89–15.11) to about 12.1 years in Assam (95% CI: 11.63–12.56) during 1985–1989.ConclusionThe regression analysis established a reduction of nearly one month per decade, suggesting a secular decline in age at menarche among Indian women. Notably, the menarcheal age was significantly associated with the area of residence, geographic region, linguistic groups, educational attainment, wealth status, caste and religious affiliations among Indian women.

Soy intake and age at onset of menarche among adolescents with a high and wide range of soy consumption (1024.1)

Early onset of menarche impacts the future health of adolescent girls. We examined if soy is related to age at onset of menarche (AOM) in a population with a high and wide range of soy intake. We conducted a cross‐sectional study on 339 girls ages 12‐18 years in selected middle and high schools in California and Michigan using a web‐based physical development and dietary intake (DI) questionnaire. Soy consumption (categorized as total soy, meat analogs, tofu/ traditional soy, and soy beverages) was estimated from the DI while AOM was self‐reported. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, Cox proportional hazard ratios, and Poisson regression with adjustment for confounders. Mean (SD) intakes were: total soy,12.9 (14.4) svg/wk; meat analogs, 7.0 (8.9) svg/wk; tofu/traditional soy, 2.1 (3.8) svg/wk; soy beverages, 3.8 (6.3) svg/wk. Mean AOM for those who reached menarche was 12.5 (1.4) y. Consumption of total soy and the 3 types of soy foods were not significantly associated with AOM neither with the odds for early‐ or late‐AOM. Adjustment for demographic and dietary factors did not change the results. Soy intake is not associated with AOM in a population of adolescents who have a wide range and relatively higher intake of soy than the general US population. Our finding suggests that the increasing popularity of soy in the US may not be associated with the declining trend in menarcheal age.Grant Funding Source: WhiteWave

Trends of Menarcheal Age in Women in the Reproductive Age and Menopause in Shanghai

Aim: To explore the factors affecting menarcheal age by investigating two groups of women differing in age by 10-15 years in Shanghai. Methods: Data on 5,207 women were collected from January 2011 to May 2012: 2,151 women of reproductive age from the Obstetrical Department and 3,056 women in menopause from the Medical Center of the Sixth Hospital of Shanghai City. General data and data on menarcheal age and medical history were collected. The two groups were divided into subgroups from <10 to ≥20 years, i.e. 12 subgroups in total, respectively. SPSS 17.0 software was used to examine statistical differences. Results: The onset of menarcheal age of reproductive age women was 0.5 years earlier than that of menopause women (p < 0.05). In the early menarche age group (<13 years old), there were more reproductive age and high-educated women. Correlation analysis found the current body mass index in menopausal women was significantly negatively correlated with their menarcheal age (r = -0.033, p < 0.05). Conclusions: There was a downward trend in menarcheal age in women of Shanghai and its surrounding areas. Economic environment and education background were the main factors affecting menarcheal age, and menarcheal age may be considered as a predictor of adult obesity.

Trends in menarcheal age between 1955 and 2009 in the Netherlands.

AimTo assess and compare the secular trend in age at menarche in Dutch girls (1955–2009) and girls from Turkish and Moroccan descent living in the Netherlands (1997–2009).MethodsData on growth and maturation were collected in 20,867 children of Dutch, Turkish and Moroccan descent in 2009 by trained health care professionals. Girls, 9 years and older, of Dutch (n = 2138), Turkish (n = 282), and Moroccan (n = 295) descent were asked whether they had experienced their first period. We compared median menarcheal age in 2009 with data from the previous Dutch Nationwide Growth Studies in 1955, 1965, 1980 and 1997. Age specific body mass index (BMI) z-scores were calculated to assess differences in BMI between pre- and postmenarcheal girls in different age groups.ResultsMedian age at menarche in Dutch girls, decreased significantly from 13.66 years in 1955 to 13.15 years in 1997 and 13.05 years in 2009. Compared to Dutch girls there is a larger decrease in median age of menarche in girls of Turkish and Moroccan descent between 1997 and 2009. In Turkish girls age at menarche decreased from 12.80 to 12.50 years and in Moroccan girls from 12.90 to 12.60 years. Thirty-three percent of Turkish girls younger than 12 years start menstruating in primary school. BMI-SDS is significantly higher in postmenarcheal girls than in premenarcheal girls irrespective of age.ConclusionThere is a continuing secular trend in earlier age at menarche in Dutch girls. An even faster decrease in age at menarche is observed in girls of Turkish and Moroccan descent in the Netherlands.

Age at menarche and its relationship to body mass index among adolescent girls in Kuwait

BackgroundDespite the increasing rates of childhood obesity and rapid change in socio-economic status, the mean age at menarche remains mostly unknown among contemporary girls in Kuwait and other countries in the Gulf region. This study aimed to estimate the mean age at menarche among schoolgirls in Kuwait and investigate the association between age at menarche and obesity.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,273 randomly selected female high school students from all governorates in Kuwait. Overweight was defined as higher than or equal to the 85th percentile and obesity as higher than or equal to the 95th percentile using growth charts provided by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2000). Data on menarche, socio-demographic status, physical activity and diet were collected using confidential self-administered questionnaire.ResultsOut of 1,273 students, 23 (1.8%) were absent or refused to participate. The mean age at menarche was 12.41 years (95% CI: 12.35-12.48). The prevalence of early menarche, defined as less than 11 years of age, was 8.5% (95% CI: 7.0-10.2%). The prevalence of obesity and overweight was 18.3% (95% CI: 16.2-20.6%) and 25.8% (95% CI: 23.42-28.30%), respectively. Age at menarche was inversely and significantly associated with odds of overweight and obesity after adjusting for potential confounders, odds ratio 0.84 (0.77-0.93); (p = 0.001).ConclusionAge at menarche among contemporary girls in Kuwait is similar to that in industrialized countries. There is an inverse association between age at menarche and obesity or overweight. Trends in menarcheal age should be monitored and time of sexual maturation and its related factors should be taken into account in strategies that aim to combat obesity.

Menarcheal age in Turkey: Secular trend and socio-demographic correlates

Background: Menarche is an important indicator for assessing the developmental status of pubertal girls. Despite its importance, there is no nationwide information on menarcheal age in Turkey.Aim: This paper is the first attempt to examine age at menarche for Turkey as a whole. The aim is to present the secular trend of menarcheal age and variations across different socio-demographic groups.Methods: Data were employed from the Turkey Demographic and Health Survey, 2008. Mean menarcheal ages were estimated for birth cohorts and socio-demographic sub-groups. The pace of decline in menarcheal age has been estimated using multiple linear regression analysis, controlling for year of birth and other variables.Results: Mean age at menarche was estimated as 13.30 (95% CI = 13.26–13.35). It was estimated as 13.17 years (95% CI 12.95–13.38) for the youngest birth cohort (1989–1993), as opposed to 13.44 (95% CI 13.37–13.52) years for the cohort born in 1959–1968.Conclusion: Regression analysis indicated a decrease of 1.44 months per decade, providing evidence of a secular trend in menarcheal age in Turkey. Further results suggested childhood place of residence, education, welfare status and number of siblings to be significantly associated with menarcheal age.

Secondary sexual characteristics and menses in urban Chinese girls

：Objective To determinethe current prevalence and mean ages of onset of pubertal characteristics in healthy urbanChinese girls. To obtain the up-to-date normal reference data for diagnosing abnormalpuberty such as precocious puberty and pubertal delay. Methods A cross-sectional study ofsexual maturation of healthy urban Chinese girls was conducted in 9 representative citiesof the eastern, western,southern, and northern parts and central region of China between2003 and 2005. At examination, stages of breast and pubic hair development were rated ingirls aged 3 to 19. 83 years, and height and weight were also recorded. Data on menseswere collected by the status quo method. Probit analysis was used to calculate the medianage and 95% confidence interval (CI) for onset of breast and pubic hair development andmenarche.Comparison of the mean ages for sexual development was made with other publishedseries. Comparison of the age of menarche was also made with the five similar studies donein China in the past 25 years. Results Data were analyzed in 20 654 apparently healthygirls. At age 8 years, 19.57% of these girls had evidence of breast development. Themedian ages of onset of Tanner stages 2 and 3 for breast development were 9.20 (95%CI:9.06-9.32) years and 10.37 (95% CI: 10.28-10.45) years, respectively. The median agesof onset of Tanner stages 2 and 3 for pubic hair development were 11.16 ( 95% CI:11.03-11.29 ) years and 12.40 (95% CI:12.25-12.55) years, respectively. Menses occurred at12.27 years (95% CI: 12.16-12.39). Urban Chinese girls are experiencing breast developmentat young ages, among the earliest recorded worldwide. A significant downward secular trendof menarcheal age was observed since 1979. Conclusions These data suggest that urbanChinese girls are actually experiencing earlier breast development than currently usednorms. The up-to-date reference for normal pubertal development in urban Chinese girlsneeds to be established for the purpose of determining precocious puberty or pubertaldelay.

Does second‐to‐fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) predict age at menarche in women?

Prenatal steroid levels, estimated as the ratio of second-to-fourth digit length (2D:4D), have been related to reproductive success in women, but direct associations between 2D:4D and physiological measures of fertility remain rare. A recent study reported that lower, masculinized right hand 2D:4D was correlated with delayed age at menarche in women. We addressed this question by investigating whether 2D:4D was associated with recalled age at menarche in 282 post-reproductive Finnish women, using Cox regression model that controlled for a woman's sibling composition, urban or rural residence and temporal trend in menarcheal age. We found no evidence that neither the 2D:4D of the right nor the left hand were related to a woman's age at menarche among these Finnish women.

Secular trends in menarcheal age among Ghanaian women in Accra

SummaryThe Women's Health Study of Accra is a population-based cross-sectional survey that was conducted between March and September 2003 to assess the burden of disease in women in Accra. In addition to data relating to general health and living conditions, data on age at first menstruation was collected during the survey. A retrospective cohort analysis of the reported age at menarche was conducted using data from 2,644 women aged between 18 and 100 years. The median age of first menstruation of the entire cohort was 15.5 years and the median age of first menstruation among those aged <20 was 14.5 years. There was a statistically significant difference in median age at menstruation among the different age and socioeconomic groups. Multiple linear regression showed a significant decline of 0.2 years per decade in the mean age at menarche among Ghanaian women.

Trends and differentials in menarcheal age in China.

This study examines trends in menarcheal age of women born in China between 1950 and 1973, and explores the impact of relevant social background characteristics on the timing of first menarche. Data on recalled ages of menarche collected in the 1988 Chinese Two-per-Thousand Fertility Survey are used in a linear regression model where the covariates are transformed with the help of an Alternating Conditional Expectation (ACE) algorithm. The results indicate that a trend towards early menarche has evolved in China during recent decades. The pattern of early menarche is especially pronounced among women residing in urban areas, and those who are better educated.

Short Report: Trend in menarcheal age in Spain: rural and urban comparison during a recent period

Menarcheal age of a sample of rural (n = 342) and urban (n = 469) girls with ages ranging from 9 to 16 years from Madrid province was analysed. Results, obtained through the status quo method and probit analysis (age 12.79 SD 1.04 in Madrid city and 12.90 SD 1.03 in rural sample), were compared with data from previous studies carried out in the same area, as well as those from other regions of the Iberian Peninsula. The aim of these comparisons was to establish the variability of menarche in the recent past, considering physical environment, degree of urbanization and socio-economic development. Decline in menarcheal age was detected and, in general, a tendency towards similar means among Spanish populations in the period studied.

Trend in menarcheal age and socioeconomic influence in Bologna (northern Italy).

Temporal variations in menarcheal age in the Bologna province (northern Italy) were investigated in a sample of 2930 women born between 1930 and 1973, examined by retrospective method. A decrease in mean menarcheal age between birth decades 1930-39 and 1950-59 was noticed. The trend was more intense in lower social classes living in extra-urban environments. This led to a disappearance in menarcheal age differences between city and province and between socioprofessional categories. From birth decade 1950-59 onwards an increase in menarcheal age is registered, and an influence of physical activity and family structure on the age of menstrual cycle onset is observed. Our results suggest that the secular trend towards earlier age at menarche has stopped in the Bologna area. We hypothesize that the recent delay in puberty could be a response to an increase in physical and psychosocial stress.

Age at menarche and an analysis of secular trends in menarcheal age of South African urban and rural black females.

Age at menarche was estimated using status quo techniques on a sample of 230 rural South African females aged 11 to 17 years. Mean age of menarche was 14.03 years (SD = 1.25 years). Compared with contemporary rural and well-off urban samples, these females experienced menarche 0.6 years earlier than did the rural sample and 0.8 years later than the well-off urban group. Data from 11 previously reported studies of menarcheal age in urban and rural girls were analyzed with these data to determine the existence and magnitude of secular trends and whether rates differed between urban and rural environments. Regression analysis demonstrated a clear secular trend in both urban and rural females since 1943. Menarcheal age decreased at a rate of 0.34, 0.73, and 0.46 years per decade for rural, urban, and combined groups, respectively. The decline in menarcheal age over the last 40 years is thought to be due to improving socioeconomic conditions, but differences between urban and rural groups remain. Within rural groups there appears to be considerable variation in menarcheal age.

Menarcheal age for Norwegian women born 1830–1960

Data from birth records from the maternity hospitals in the three main cities in Norway have been used to study the trend in menarcheal age for women born from about 1830 to about 1960. The investigation is based on a sample of 200-300 records around every 10th year from each of the three clinics in partly overlapping time periods relating to a total of 9152 women. The recollected age at menarche fell from just above 16 years for women born around 1830 to just above 13 years for those born around 1960, the decrease being not totally linear. These results correspond closely with a previously published investigation from Oslo from about the same period of time (Brudevoll, Liestøl and Walløe, 1979), but our results, which cover more of Norway, show a more linearily shaped curve than the results covering only Oslo. We have also analysed the relationships of several independent variables to menarcheal age, using multivariate linear regression methods. Besides the woman's year of birth, which was the most important variable throughout the whole period of time, various geographical variables were found to be of moderate importance. Being born in the countryside and in towns other than Oslo and Bergen led to a slightly higher age at menarche. No significant difference between Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim was detected except for the period up to about 1880 where the Bergen women had about 2.6 months earlier menarche than the Oslo women. Married women amongst the sample had experienced menarche a little earlier than the unmarried, and among married women there was an association between occupation and menarcheal age, women from the lowest social classes having the latest ages at menarche. The importance of these socially related parameters declined with time, and for women born after 1945 the difference seemed to have disappeared. The age at menarche was found to be positively related to a woman's age at first birth; the further back in time the stronger the relation. In addition, delayed age at menarche was also found to be associated with irregularities in the menstrual cycles in later life.

The age at menarche in ancient India as compared to the data from classical Greece and Rome

In the industrially developed countries of the world the age at menarche had been getting 3-4 months earlier every decade for the last 100 years. Extrapolation backwards of this downward trend provides us with ridiculous figures. We, therefore, examined the recorded data from the writings of the authoritative Indian legislators during the period between ca.500 B.C. and 500 A.D. to study the trend in menarcheal age. Almost all of the legislators in their writings pointed out that the age of menarche was at 12 although full completion of puberty took place at age 16. The present day data differed from the ancient data being 0.8-1.2 yrs. and 2.2-2.4 yrs. later in the Urban and rural populations respectively. When the data from Classical Greece were examined from the writings of Aristotle and Hippocrates during 384-322 B.C. the age at menarche was between 13-14 yrs. The Roman authors Galen (129-199 A.D.),Soranus (2nd Century A.D.) found this age around 14, and Oribasius (4th Century A.D.) observed menarche to occur between 12-14 yrs. Thus the recorded data of the ancient time contrast with the current downward trend for the age at menarche.