[Correlation between menarcheal age and certain demographic characteristics]

ABSTRACT

The first occurrence of menstruation [or periods] is called menarche and it is a vital event during puberty in girls. Various studies show a downward trend in menarcheal age over the last hundred years. Many factors can influence age at menarche. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between menarcheal age and certain demographic characteristics, in female residents of district 13, Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. In this longitudinal descriptive, conducted within the framework of the Tehran lipid and glucose study, subjects were 402 girls, aged 12 and 18 years, whose menarche had not begun at the initiation of the study, but it did during their follow-up. In order to collect data, questionnaires previously completed in the TLGS were used. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire confirmed in previous studies. Various factors including maternal age at menarche, maternal education, maternal occupation, body mass index, physical activity, energy expenditure and exposure to tobacco smoke were examined. Findings showed that the mean age at menarche was 13.06 +/- 1.24 years in this study. There were significant statistical associations between body mass index [P=0.002, r=-0.04], mother's age at menarche [P<0.001, r=0.66] and maternal education [P=0.027, r=0.25] and the subjects age at menarche. However there was no significant association between age at menarche, with mother's occupation, passive smoking, physical activity and energy expenditure. It seems that BMI, mother's menarcheal age and maternal education are factors that influence the age at menarche