BACKGROUND Adolescent girls aged 15-19 bear a disproportionate burden of negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Research from several high-income countries suggests that early age at menarche is an important determinant of sexual and reproductive health. We conducted this systematic review to better understand whether and how early menarche is asso...

OBJECTIVE To compare the age at menarche obtained by recall method according to the time elapsed since the event, in order to verify the importance of the recall bias. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Were evaluated 1,671 girls (7-18 years) at schools in Campinas-SP regarding the occurrence of menarche by the status quo method (menarche: yes or no) and the recall method (date of menarche, for those who m...

STUDY QUESTION Is sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption associated with age at menarche? SUMMARY ANSWER More frequent SSB consumption was associated with earlier menarche in a population of US girls. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY SSB consumption is associated with metabolic changes that could potentially impact menarcheal timing, but direct associations with age at menarche have yet to be inve...

The phylogenetic, ontogenetic and seasonal hypotheses on the annual periodicity of menarche were tested. Data from European, Asian (Caucasian, Mongolian and Caucaso-Mongolian people from the northern hemisphere) and Chilean (Caucaso-Amerindian from the southern hemisphere) populations were compared with data from Hungary (Caucaso-Mongolian Europeans from a northern temperature zone) and Madras,...

OBJECTIVE The attitudes of girls regarding menarche vary according to their cultural backgrounds. Asian girls may hesitate to discuss menarche. Computer-assisted self-administered interviewing (CASI) is considered a valid and effective tool for investigating the timing of menarche; however, the validity of self-reported menarche data from CASI in Chinese culture is currently unknown. We aimed t...

OBJECTIVE This study examines the relationship of intrauterine growth, measured by size and maturity at birth, to age at menarche, while also considering a wide range of other factors that may affect maturation. The research is motivated by the current debate about the importance of the prenatal environment as a determinant of later disease risk. METHODS Data were collected during the Cebu Lo...

In this study we examined the relationship between menarche and interest in infants among adolescent girls, and the effects of early environment, particularly of father absence from home, on both variables. Eighty-three girls ranging in age from between 11 and 14 years served as study participants. Interest in infants was assessed through their preferences for photos and silhouettes of animal a...

The age at menarche and several menstrual symptoms were reported by 516 Portuguese school girls who took part in a cross-sectional anthropometric study in Coimbra, Portugal. The mean ages of menarche calculated using the recall method and also using probit analysis were 12.53 +/-1.27 and 12.03 +/- 1.26 years, respectively. Parents'educational level, place of residence and size of the family did...

BACKGROUND Declines in the onset age of secondary sexual development have been reported in a number of recent studies in western and Asian countries. A study of Hat-Yai school girls in 1994 in Thailand showed that the ages at thelarche and menarche were 9.9 and 12.4 years, respectively. This study was to determine whether there was a decline in the average age of puberty in Hat-Yai school girls...

OBJECTIVES The event of menarche is an exceptional phenomenon, which occurs once in a lifetime. It is the precursor of future fertility. The onset of menarche is mainly dependent on genetic factors, however geographical and nutritional factors among other factors have been attributed to the events of menarche. The aim of this study is to determine the age of onset of menarche and the factors wh...