Birth weight and prepubertal body size predict menarcheal age in India, Peru, and Vietnam

Abstract

Evidence on the associations of birth weight and prepubertal nutritional status with menarcheal age for low-and middle-income countries is limited. We investigated these relationships using the

Relationship between early‐life nutrition and ages at menarche and first pregnancy, and childbirth rates of young adults: Evidence from APCAPS in India

“…The relationships between nutritional status and menarcheal ages are complex and are influenced by biological and environmental factors (Aurino et al, ; Juul, Chang, Brar, & Parekh, ; Pathak, Tripathi, & Subramanian, ; Soliman, De Sanctis, & Elalaily, ). Whereas genetics are primary determinants, menarcheal ages are also associated positively with maternal well‐being, breastfeeding rates, certain diseases (e.g., diabetes), and negatively with intake of animal proteins, psychological stress, standard of living, and environmental exposure to endocrine disruptors (Abreu & Kaiser, ; Aurino et al, ; Yermachenko & Dvornyk, ).…”

“…The relationships between nutritional status and menarcheal ages are complex and are influenced by biological and environmental factors (Aurino et al, ; Juul, Chang, Brar, & Parekh, ; Pathak, Tripathi, & Subramanian, ; Soliman, De Sanctis, & Elalaily, ). Whereas genetics are primary determinants, menarcheal ages are also associated positively with maternal well‐being, breastfeeding rates, certain diseases (e.g., diabetes), and negatively with intake of animal proteins, psychological stress, standard of living, and environmental exposure to endocrine disruptors (Abreu & Kaiser, ; Aurino et al, ; Yermachenko & Dvornyk, ). Among anthropometric indicators, lower birthweights and higher prepubertal body masses have been linked with earlier menarche (Adair, ; Aurino et al, ; Blell, Pollard, & Pearce, ; Cooper, Kuh, Egger, Wadsworth, & Barker, ; Hui, Leung, Wong, Lam, & Schooling, ; Khan et al, ; Leenstra et al, ; Marcovecchio & Chiarelli, ; Persson et al, ; Simondon et al, ; Sloboda, Hart, Doherty, Pennell, & Hickey, ; Tam, de Zegher, Garnett, Baur, & Cowell, ).…”

“…The determinants of menarcheal age in LMICs have not been widely studied. A recent study using longitudinal Young Lives data on adolescents in India, Peru, and Vietnam found positive associations of birthweight and negative associations of prepubertal height and body mass measures with menarcheal ages (Aurino et al, ). Prepubertal stunting was linked with later menarche also in Guatemala, Senegal, and Bangladesh (Bosch, Willekens, Baqui, Van Ginneken, & Hutter, ; Khan et al, ; Simondon et al, ).…”

“…Little is known about how early‐life supplementary nutrition affects the reproductive health of LMIC adults, including ages at menarche, first cohabitation with partner, and first pregnancy, and the rate and number of childbirths. Observational studies in India, Peru, Vietnam, Kenya, Senegal, and Guatemala have found associations of higher birthweights and lower prepubertal body mass with later menarche and greater height for age at 24 months with lower adult fertility (Aurino, Schott, Penny, & Behrman, ; Hoddinott, Behrman, et al, ; Khan, Schroeder, Martorell, Haas, & Rivera, ; Leenstra et al, ; Simondon et al, ). Although several studies in high‐income countries have found that later menarche is associated with greater adolescent and adult height, such relationships have not been examined in LMICs (Aurino et al, ; Frisch & Revelle, ; He & Karlberg, ; Zacharias & Rand, ).…”

Time use and sexual maturity−related indicators differentially predict youth body mass indices, Peruvian girls versus boys

“…Recent work has suggested that production of certain hormones, such as leptin, may send this message triggering menarche, possibly accelerating pubertal onset for overweight/obese girls . Previous studies have identified relationships between obesity and early sexual maturation, further bolstering this view . It is not surprising, then, that overweight/obesity may be associated with early pubertal onset.…”