Menarcheal age of Turkish girls in Bremen

Several studies have shown that there is a Northwest-Southeast gradient in menarcheal age of European girls, with menarche occurring on the average about one year earlier in girls living in the Southern parts of Europe as compared with those from the Northern and Northwestern European countries. Eveleth & Tanner (1976) as well as Danker-Hopfe (1986a) suggested that this gradient is due primarily to genetic differences rather than climatic or nutritional variation. To substantiate this hypothesis menarcheal age of Turkish girls who lived in Bremen for several years has been investigated. The mean age at menarche estimated by probit analysis based on status quo data from n = 494 girls aged from 9.0 to 16.5 years was 12.90 +/- 1.21 years. These results correspond very well to those reported by Neyzi et al. (1975) for girls from Istanbul. On the other hand mean menarcheal age of Turkish girls living in Bremen is distinctly lower than mean age at menarche of urban German girls, living in the same district. In summary the results of the present study support the hypothesis of a predominantly genetic cause for the observed Northwest-Southeast gradient in age at menarche in Europe.     

Menarcheals age and socio-economical factors in Marrakech (Morocco)

Data on the menarcheal age was collected from a sample of 749 girls, aged between 11 and 17 years of age, drawn from the population of Marrakech (Morocco). The mean age at menarche calculated for the entire sample was of 14.26 year of age (SD=1.20). Once having grouped the girls according to the different environmental factors, we calculated the mean menarcheal age for earch group. Comparisons of these means show that only the family size and the number of sibling have an effect on the age at menarche.     

Comparison of the Somatic and Psychosexual Maturation in Menarcheal and Nonmenarcheal Girls

This study reports on the relation between somatic and psychosexual development in 911 urban girls age 8 to 17 years. Subjects were examined by anthropometric and questionnaire methods. We compared the variability of somatic proportions and indexes in two groups of girls at the same age, but with different levels of maturation (menarcheal vs nonmenarcheal). We also assessed their attitudes and knowledge in spheres of sexuality, partners, and matrimonial relationships. We observed that menarcheal girls differed significantly for several anthropometrical values (body weight, sitting height, gluteal circumference, arm circumference) for some age groups, and we recorded significant differences in values of some indexes (Quetelet-Bouchard, Pignet-Vervaek, BMI). The psychosexual development of the girls was assessed by the questionnaire method. The girls were asked to explain various terms. The main aim of our questionnaire was to detect the existence of a relationship between somatic and psychosexual development, whether knowledge of menarcheal girls is more advanced than knowledge of nonmenarcheal girls. Our results show that although there is a significant somatic distinction between menarcheal and nonmenarcheal girls, we are not able to unambiguously state that menarcheal girls are more psychosexually developed.     

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.     

Current age of the menarche in Belgium

In Belgium, as in most industrialized countries, studies about menarcheal age have shown an earlier physical and sexual maturation. In this paper we will consider the secular trend in menarcheal age over the last twenty years in Brussels. The results concerning menstruation have been obtained in 1980-1982 from 1048 Belgian girls aged between 9 and 17. These girls have very varied socio-economic backgrounds, representative of the diversity of social origin in the Belgian population of Brussels (city and suburbs). Our data were collected using the status quo-method and compared with Jeurissen's (menarcheal age in Belgium between 1915 and 1959). Percentiles and probits were used. The lower limit, where 10% of the girls have had their menarches remains more or less constant. Between 1915 and 1959, Jeurissen noted the tendency of the median menarcheal age toward earlier sexual maturation from 14 years 4 months to 13.0. But, for the first time in Belgium, it seems that the median age is stabilized at 13.0 years. However, the higher limit (age, where 90% have had their menarches) is attained at a lower age: 15.0 for girls born between 1950-1954 and 14.0 in our sample. In conclusion, it seems that better conditions of life cause an evolution in the cases of late menarches but have no more repercussions on the median menarcheal age in this Belgian group.     

新疆伊犁六个民族的初潮年龄

1983年7月至1984年7月,用回忆法调查了新疆伊犁地区3972名12—23岁的女性的初潮年龄,其中哈萨克族924人,维吾尔族864人,锡伯族486人,回族209人,蒙古族216人,汉族1273人。其平均初潮年龄是:哈萨克族14.37±1.09岁,维吾尔族14.34±1.41岁,蒙古族14.21±1.05岁,回族13.89±1.32岁,锡伯族13.78±1.02岁,汉族13.61±1.11岁。各族中均以七、八、九三个月来月经的最多。此外,还发现六个民族中1969—1972年出生的与1961—1964年出生的相比,平均初潮年龄都明显提前。在八年中,回族提前2.67岁,蒙古族提前1.90岁,锡伯族提前1.78岁,汉族提前1.64岁,哈萨克族提前1.17岁,维吾尔族提前1.13岁。     

Changes in age at menarche in Spain (1909–1965)

The data used in this work have been collected from clinical histories of women who have been examined at the Ginecology and Obstetritian Service of the Santa cruz y San Pablo Hospital of Barcelona. The sample consisted of 12,803 Spanish women, born between 1909 and 1965, by regions of birth. The method used is retrospective. The maximum menarcheal age in Spain (13.91±0.049 years) is found among those women born between 1925 and 1929 and the minimum menarcheal age (12.92±0.036 years) among women born between 1955 and 1959; so in an interval of 30 years, a reduction of almost a year (11.88 months) has taken place in age at first menstruation. This means a reduction of almost four months per decade. These differences are significant (p=.0000). The higher menarcheal age appears in the Northern Zone, due to the influence of Galicia in the sample (Galicia being a depressed zone with a great emigration rate). The earliest menarcheal age appears in the Mediterranean Zone due to the great percentage of catalan women (Catalonia being a region with a higher socioeconomical level). It is also to be observed that although the menarcheal age has decreased in all the zones, it has done so more dramatically in those zones which had higher values at the beginning. Although the secular trend of reduction in the age at menarche varies greatly from region to region, it may be considered that, in general, the socieconomic conditions have been the decisive factor in the change in physical maturation of Spanish women.     

Puberty after prenatal growth restraint

There is increasing evidence for a link between prenatal growth and pubertal development. Here we highlight a selection of pubertal characteristics in children who were born small for gestational age (SGA). Boys born SGA are at risk of high levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and low levels of inhibin B and a small testicular volume during adolescence. In girls born SGA, the age at pubertal onset and the age at menarche are advanced by about 5-10 months; prenatal growth restraint may also be associated with higher FSH levels and smaller internal genitalia in adolescence. The ovulation rate was found to be reduced in adolescent girls born SGA, and an insulin-sensitizing therapy was capable of raising this low ovulation rate. Menarche is definitely advanced in girls born SGA with precocious pubarche and in those with an early-normal onset of puberty. Current evidence suggests that insulin resistance is a key mechanism linking a post-SGA state to early menarche; hence, insulin sensitization may become a valid approach to prevent early menarche and early growth arrest in girls born SGA.     

Trends in Menarcheal Age between 1955 and 2009 in the Netherlands

Aim

To 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).

Methods

Data 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.

Results

Median 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.

Conclusion

There 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.     

The variation in age at menarche: an indicator of historic developmental tempo

Ample literature describes the history of the association between the advances in the health and wealth of people, and mortality rates, life expectancy and adult height. Twenty-nine German studies with n > 200 subjects published since 1848 on menarcheal age, were reanalyzed, and 101 studies from various other European and non-European countries. On average, mean age at menarche declined since the mid-19th century. Historic urban samples tended to decline earlier than rural groups, upper class women earlier than working class women. In Germany, minimum values for the age at menarche were seen already between the two World Wars (Leipzig 12.6 years in 1934, Halle 13.3 years in 1939). Values for mean age and SD for age at menarche were strongly associated. With improving historic circumstances, the two parameters declined in parallel. The standard deviation for menarcheal age dropped from over 2.5 years in mid-19" century France to little more or even less than 1 year in most modern countries. In the German studies the correlation between menarcheal age and SD was almost complete with r = 0.96 (y = 0.35x - 3.53). Similar associations between mean age at menarche and SD for age were found in other European countries. The obvious and immediate effects of historic events on menarcheal age, and particularly on the age distribution, indicate that menarche is a sensitive indicator of public health and wealth, and may be an appropriate estimator for the socio-economic background of historic populations.     

Intake of Dairy Products,Calcium, Magnesium,and Phosphorus in Childhood and Age at Menarche in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

Purpose

Studies indicate that milk intake is associated with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations and height in childhood, whether milk and other dairy products promote puberty remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate influences of pre-pubertal intakes of milk, yogurt and cheese on menarcheal age in Tehranian girls. The associations of total dietary calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and phosphorus (P) with menarcheal age were also examined.

Methods

This prospective study was conducted on 134 pre-pubertal girls, aged 4-12 years at baseline, who participated in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS), and were followed for a median of 6.5 years. Dietary intakes were determined at initiation of the study using two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls and the age of menarche was documented during the follow-up. Logistic regression was used to calculate the risk of reaching menarche ≤ 12 years according to pre-pubertal levels of dairy or mineral intakes.

Results

The risk of earlier menarche was higher in girls with higher intakes of milk [OR: 2.28 (95% CI: 1.03–5.05)], Ca [OR: 3.20 (95%CI: 1.39–7.42)], Mg [OR: 2.43 (95% CI: 1.12–5.27)] and P [OR: 3.37 (95 % CI: 1.44–7.87) after controlling for energy and protein intake, interval between the age at study initiation and the age of menarche, and maternal age at menarche (Model 1). Girls in the middle tertile of cheese intakes had a lower risk of reaching menarche ≤ 12 years than those in the lowest tertile after controlling for covariates in model 1. These associations remained significant after further adjustment of BMI Z-score at baseline. The relationship of Ca, Mg, and P with menarche remained after further adjustment for height Z-score at baseline, whereas the association between milk and cheese intakes became non-significant.

Conclusions

Pre-pubertal intake of milk, but not cheese and yogurt, may hasten age at menarche.     

Age at menarche among the Bhotias of Mana Valley

The mean menarcheal age of the Bhotia girls of Mana Valley (Uttar Pradesh) has been found to be 16.38 +/- 1.53 years, which is the highest value so far reported from Indian populations. It is observed that altitude and nutritional status have a great bearing on the onset of menarche. The results obtained are compared with those from other Indian populations.     

Predictors of age at menarche in the newcastle thousand families study

Several studies have found relationships between early life factors (birth weight, length of gestation, height, weight, duration of breast-feeding, maternal age, social class, periods of infection, presence of adverse life events, and quality of housing conditions in childhood) and age at menarche but none has considered all of these factors in the same study. The follow-up study of the Newcastle Thousand Families birth cohort, established in 1947, provided age at menarche data collected retrospectively at age 50 from 276 women who returned self-completion questionnaires in 1997. Three main independent associations were observed: girls who experienced a shorter gestation, girls whose mothers were younger when they were born, and girls who were heavier at age 9 had earlier menarche. Birth weight, standardized for gestational age, was found to have different relationships with age at menarche depending upon how heavy or light a girl was at age 9. The results of this study support the hypotheses that conditions in fetal and early life are associated with the timing of menarche and that greater childhood growth is associated with earlier menarche. It is suggested that future work should focus on illuminating the mechanisms underlying these statistical relationships.     

Changes and Tracking of Fat Mass in Pubertal Girls

Puberty is a critical period in body composition development. The influence of puberty on the development of fat mass asks for further investigation. We investigated the development of fat mass during puberty in a longitudinal prospective study in 152 healthy nonobese white girls, initial ages between 9 to 12 years. The influence of menarcheal age and the existing of tracking of fat mass have been analyzed. In 10 years time, participants were measured on eight time points. Various anthropometric data were collected, breast development was staged according to Tanner and body composition was determined with the dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Calculations were made with the use of a linear mixed model. Fat mass increases from 7.9 kg (23.6%) at B1 to 18.5 kg (29.3%) at B5. Fat mass is higher in girls with an early menarche than in girls with a late menarche from B2. Girls in the quartile with initially the lowest fat mass have a chance of being in the same quartile after 10 years of 77% (P < 0.001). Girls in the quartile with initially the highest fat mass, have a risk of staying in the highest quartile of 55% (P < 0.001). Menarcheal age is of great influence on the development of fat mass. Girls with an early menarche, will have a bigger fat mass, especially at the end of puberty. Tracking of fat mass exists: a high amount of fat mass in early puberty will continue to exist at young adulthood.     

Menarcheal timing is accelerated by favorable nutrition but unrelated to developmental cues of mortality or familial instability in Cebu,Philippines

Understanding the determinants of pubertal timing, particularly menarche in girls, is an important area of investigation owing to the many health, psychosocial, and demographic outcomes related to reproductive maturation. Traditional explanations emphasized the role of favorable nutrition in maturational acceleration. More recently, work has documented early maturity in relation to markers of familial and environmental instability (e.g. paternal absence), which are hypothesized to serve as cues triggering adaptive adjustment of life history scheduling. While these studies hint at an ability of human females to accelerate maturity in stressful environments, most have focused on populations characterized by energetic excess. The present study investigates the role of developmental nutrition alongside cues of environmental risk and instability (maternal absence, paternal absence, and sibling death) as predictors of menarcheal age in a well-characterized birth cohort born in 1983 in metropolitan Cebu, the Philippines. In this sample, which was marked by a near-absence of childhood overweight and obesity, we find that menarcheal age is not predicted by cues of risk and instability measured at birth and during childhood and early adolescence, but that infancy weight gain and measures of favorable childhood nutrition are strong predictors of maturational acceleration. These findings contrast with studies of populations in which psychosocial stress and instability co-occur with excess weight. The present findings suggest that infancy and childhood nutrition may exert greater influence on age at menarche than psychosocial cues in environments characterized by marginal nutrition, and that puberty is often delayed, rather than accelerated, in the context of stressful environments.     

Age of the menarche of girls in Thessaloniki, Greece

In 1982-1983 a total of 977 girls from Thessaloniki has been investigated for their menarcheal ages, using the retrospective and the status quo methods. 565 of these girls aged between 11 and 18.5 years (age classes 1964-1972) were found to menstruate. The mean menarcheal age amounts to 12.0 years. The results are compared with corresponding data from literature. They confirm a clear secular trend for the menarcheal age in Greek population.     

Impact of the age at menarche on adult body composition in healthy pre- and postmenopausal women

The present study focuses on the impact of age at menarche on body composition development during adulthood. With 459 healthy middle-class women between 18 and 67 years (x = 41.5) the association between age at menarche and body composition was tested. Body composition, described by absolute and relative amount of fat mass, lean body mass, and bone mass, was estimated by means of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. In order to exclude the influence of the menopausal transition on body composition, pre- and postmenopausal females were examined separately. The absolute amount of body fat was significantly lower within the group of women whose menarche occurred later. However, postmenopausal females exhibit less significant relations between the two trait systems than premenopausal women. This may be due to the impact of menopausal transition which affected the hormone levels and body composition development independently from the adolescent hormonal transition. While in both proband groups the quantitative amount of body fat was significantly related to menarcheal age, a significant relation between menarcheal age and adult body fat distribution could not be verified. Am J Phys Anthropol 105:9–20, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Secular Trends in Menarcheal Age in India-Evidence from the Indian Human Development Survey

Background

Evidence 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.

Methods

We 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.

Results

The 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.

Conclusion

The 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.     

Correlates and predictors of the age of menarche

In a cross-sectional study of 452 girls between 10 and 16 years of age 36 indices of physical and 50 of mental development were tested for their correlation with age at menarche and chronological age, as well as for their predictive power for estimating menarche by multiple regression analysis. Indices of physical maturity and body weight when adjusted for chronological age showed the highest partial correlation coefficients with age at menarche. Among mental characters which show lower intercorrelations with menarche occurred the highest correlation coefficients for a handmotor factor "Spurennachzeichnen" and a factor "Gruppenabh?ngigkeit" (which indicates a type of social motivation). In general physical and mental factors correlate higher with chronological age than with age at menarche. By multiple regression analysis we determined 14 physical and 25 mental predictors explaining 21% and 17% respectively of the variance of age at menarche. The error of the estimate predicting menarche on body weight without knowledge of onset of menarche is +/- 1 year. Using chronological age in a sample of girls before menarche the error of the estimate only is +/- 6 months. To compare the predictive power of chronological age combined with body weight or with skeletal age the time interval is calculated within which 95% of girls attain menarche. The range of prediction extends from 4.3 to 1 year on chronological age (11-16 years); using mean body weight it can be improved by 1.8 to 6 months, while using mean skeletal age an improvement of 0.2 to 3.9 months is possible compared with body weight. The correlations between age at menarche and physical and mental variables are attributed to a common hormonal influence on rate of development.     

月经初潮对女孩体格发育和体型分布的影响

目的：分析初潮对女孩体格发育和体型分布的影响。方法：询问初潮发生时间。根据初潮发生状况分组,比较各组的体格发育状况,并作Heath-Carter体型分析。结果：同年龄已来潮女孩无论骨骼、肌肉、体脂、身高等都明显较未来潮女孩提前,年龄越小越明显。月经初潮后1年内,体格发育的增长趋势仍很明显,由此造成已、未来潮,刚来潮和来潮时间较久的女孩间,在体型分布上的显著差异。结论：初潮发生早晚对女孩体型有明显影响,其中受影响最大的是反映体脂累积的内因子。本研究无论对体质人类学研究或是在专门人才的早期选拔方面,都将提供一定的科学依据。