Age at menarche in schoolgirls with and without excess weight

Abstract

Although the students from private schools belonged to a higher socioeconomic status, there is currently no longer a large gap between them and girls from public schools regarding nutritional and socioeconomic factors that may influence the age at menarche.

The Changes of Serum Leptin and Kisspeptin Levels in Chinese Children and Adolescents in Different Pubertal Stages

“…The lower testosterone in obese/overweight boys may be related to the increased leptin because androgens could suppress the leptin expression in adipocytes [31]. With respect to girls, the elevated serum leptin levels in obese/overweight girls and the positive relationship between leptin and estradiol, together with the data from Hu et al [35], which reported that 1 ng/mL recombinant leptin significantly stimulated estradiol release in cultured goose granulosa cells in vitro , may give an explanation, at least in part, for the early onset of puberty in girls with excess weight, which has been supported by Odongkara Mpora et al [36], Castilho and Nucci [37], and our daily clinical work.…”

Overweight and associated factors in young adult student girls

“…Among these factors, we highlight the social class and history of obesity. Girls of higher and obese social classes menstruate earlier (22) . However, the fact that girls menstruate earlier has been associated with more evidence to the increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and less related to social conditions (16,23) .…”

“…This association is worrying, as puberty has tended to occur earlier and earlier, with an estimated age of menarche decreasing by three to four months each decade. From this fact, it is presumed that the increasingly precocious menarche may lead to new cases of overweight, impacting on the prevalence of this disease and its complications (15,22) .…”

Secular Trends of Age at Menarche from 1985 to 2010 among Chinese Urban and Rural Girls

“…The first menses is a recognized milestone for female sexual maturity and the age at menarche (AAM) is the most widely used indicator. Information on AAM is essential for planning health promotion programs on women's health, especially in situations that early menarche is among the few established risk factors for breast cancer [1] and has possible relationships with overweight [2], cardiovascular disease [3], or sexual abuse [4]. Numerous evidences showed that AAM is likely to change with the development of society [5,6], the degree and speed of which are not necessarily the same among different races, countries and regions.…”