A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Relationship Between Ages at Menarche, Marriage, and First Birth

Udry, J. Richard; Cliquet, Robert

doi:10.2307/2061128

Cited by 141 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

“…In developing countries, such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, age at menarche is suggested to be positively associated with age at marriage and first childbirth (20). A similar association has been found in some developed countries where the intervals between menarche and first marriage are much larger (20,21). Although the mechanisms of this positive association are poorly understood, in developing countries, menarche has been suggested to serve as a "marker of maturity and readiness for marriage", signalling the parents to place their daughters in the 'marriage market' (2,20).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Age of Onset, Nutritional Determinants, and Seasonal Variations in Menarche in Rural Bangladesh

Rah

Shamim

Arju

et al. 2010

J Health Popul Nutr

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Menarche is an important milestone in the development of female adolescents. The study assessed the age at menarche using recall, its seasonality, and association with marital and nutritional status (using midupper arm circumference [MUAC]) among 3,923 female adolescents aged 12-19 years in a rural area of Bangladesh. At the time of assessment, most (88%) adolescents had attained menarche at the mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 12.8 (1.4) years. Age of onset of menarche among married adolescents (13%) occurred earlier than in those who were unmarried (12.6±1.3 years vs 12.9±1.4 years, p<0.01). Age at menarche was negatively associated with MUAC after adjusting for age and marital status (β=-0.10, p<0.01). More than 50% of the adolescents had an onset of menarche during winter (χ 2 =634.97; p<0.001), with peaks in December and January. In this rural population, the current age at menarche was found to be slightly lower than the previous estimates of 13.0 years in Bangladesh. An early onset of menarche was associated with season and better nutritional status of the female adolescents and may be associated with early marriage.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age of Onset, Nutritional Determinants, and Seasonal Variations in Menarche in Rural Bangladesh

Rah

Shamim

Arju

et al. 2010

J Health Popul Nutr

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“…16,23,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] Even the rare prospective cohort studies of this topic have ascertained ages of menarche or sexual intercourse retrospectively, 46,47 have reported only baseline data, 35 or have used analytic methods that represent the probability of FSI at a particular age (eg, logistic regression) rather than the time to FSI (eg, hazard models), 46,48 thus losing the longitudinal or temporal aspect of the study design. Prospective longitudinal designs have several advantages, including the increased accuracy of reporting of timing because the dates are captured close to the time of the event 49,50 and the use of statistical approaches, such as survival and hazard models, that measure changes within each subject over time, in addition to the difference between groups.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Age at Menarche and Age at First Sexual Intercourse: A Prospective Cohort Study

et al. 2013

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WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Young age at first sexual intercourse (FSI) is related to risk-taking behaviors and negative outcomes. Previous studies using a cohort or cross-sectional design have concluded that younger age at menarche (AAM) is related to younger age at FSI. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:This large birth cohort study is the first to address the temporal relationship between AAM and FSI. We found that younger AAM does not confer higher risk of early FSI, whether in terms of calendar age or time since menarche. abstract OBJECTIVE: Younger age at menarche (AAM) may put girls at risk for earlier first sexual intercourse (FSI). Young age at FSI has far-reaching negative outcomes. We describe the longitudinal relationship between AAM and FSI in a large prospective birth cohort.METHODS: AAM was collected from 554 girls from the Western Australia (Raine) Pregnancy Cohort Study, prospectively from age 10 or retrospectively at age 14. Age at FSI was collected at ages 17 and 20. Cox regression models describe likelihood of FSI by age and years since menarche for younger (,12 years) and older ($14 years) AAM relative to average AAM (12-13 years). RESULTS: CONCLUSIONS:Younger AAM was not a risk factor for younger age at FSI in this cohort.

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“…Menarche, of course, does not imply sexual activity, let alone early reproduction, but cross-cultural studies often find that age at menarche, age at first sexual intercourse and age at first birth are correlated (e.g. [60]), although not always [37,61]. However, a missing link between an individual's early stress, reproductive strategy and fitness, is fertility.…”

Section: Fertility: a Missing Link Between Early Environment And Fitnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental influences on fertility decisions by women: an evolutionary perspective

Coall

Tickner

McAllister

et al. 2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Developmental environments are crucial for shaping our life course. Elements of the early social and biological environments have been consistently associated with reproduction in humans. To date, a strong focus has been on the relationship between early stress, earlier menarche and first child birth in women. These associations, found predominately in high-income countries, have been usefully interpreted within life-history theory frameworks. Fertility, on the other hand—a missing link between an individual's early environment, reproductive strategy and fitness—has received little attention. Here, we synthesize this literature by examining the associations between early adversity, age at menarche and fertility and fecundity in women. We examine the evidence that potential mechanisms such as birth weight, childhood body composition, risky health behaviours and developmental influences on attractiveness link the early environment and fecundity and fertility. The evidence that menarche is associated with fertility and fecundity is good. Currently, owing to the small number of correlational studies and mixed methodologies, the evidence that early adversity predicts fecundity and fertility is not conclusive. This area of research is in its infancy; studies examining early adversity and adult fertility decisions that can also examine likely biological, social and psychological pathways present opportunities for future fertility research.

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A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Relationship Between Ages at Menarche, Marriage, and First Birth

Cited by 141 publications

References 12 publications

Age of Onset, Nutritional Determinants, and Seasonal Variations in Menarche in Rural Bangladesh

Age of Onset, Nutritional Determinants, and Seasonal Variations in Menarche in Rural Bangladesh

Age at Menarche and Age at First Sexual Intercourse: A Prospective Cohort Study

Developmental influences on fertility decisions by women: an evolutionary perspective

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