The relationship among the age at menarche, anthropometric characteristics, and socio‐economic factors in Bengali girls from Kolkata, India

Abstract

The aim of the study was to measure the causal effect of selected socio-economic factors and anthropometrical characteristics on the menarche occurrence. Methods:The sample consisted of 2195 Bengali girls (aged 7-21) from middleclass families, from Kolkata city, India. The age at menarche was recorded from the retrospective data and status quo method. The causal effect of anthropometric and socio-economic variables on menarche occurrence was estimated by the nonparametrical analysis of survival probability (survival random forest).Results: In the examined cohort menarche occurred, on average, at 11.8 years of age. The probability of menarche occurrence amplified with the increasing values of factors such as body mass index, height-for-age z-scores, number of family members, household rooms, and toilets, but decreased when expenditures increased. The relation maintained a similar pattern of causal effect with girls' age.Conclusions: A complex pattern of relationship among sexual development, physique, and socio-economic characteristics was defined. The tendency toward early menarche, along with the observed causal relationships indicate that the analyzed sample is nearing the characteristics and standards of living noted in other middle and even high-income countries in the world.

Associations of maternal age at marriage and pregnancy with infant undernutrition: Evidence from first‐time mothers in rural lowland Nepal

“…Relevant to this, an earlier analysis of maternal BMI in 35 African countries found that after adjusting for early childbearing, early marriage itself was associated with a reduced risk of the mother having low BMI (Efevbera et al, 2019), though the findings from an Indian study were in the opposite direction (Prakash et al, 2011). Research in India has linked earlier menarche with earlier marriage (Raj et al, 2015), and earlier menarche may be associated with higher BMI (Malitha et al, 2020; Żegleń et al, 2020). If women marrying relatively young in our population do indeed have higher BMI, this might also help explain why for some outcomes, those who gave birth at the earliest age (10–14 years) did not always have the worst offspring anthropometric outcomes.…”

Early age at menarche and its associated factors in school girls (age, 10 to 12 years) in Bangladesh: a cross-section survey in Rajshahi District, Bangladesh

“…Menarche is the most commonly remembered milestone of puberty for most women, and it is often considered the signals of fertility from both social and medical perspectives. Girls experience menarche at different ages but usually it occurs between the ages of 10 and 16 years, and the mean age at menarche varies significantly by geographical region, race, ethnicity, and other characteristic factors, especially nutritional factors [1,2]. Recently, it was found that estradiol is an important factor for the occurrence of kisspeptin expression in GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) neurons in the prepubertal period, and its gradual development provides a GnRH neuron amplification mechanism that is used to facilitate the emergence of pulsatile gonadotropin secretion necessary for puberty onset.…”

Biological Age in Relation to Somatic, Physiological, and Swimming Kinematic Indices as Predictors of 100 m Front Crawl Performance in Young Female Swimmers

“…Namely, Tanner stages based on pubic hair scale were estimated [ 25 ] and the date of menarche was obtained retrospectively (year, month, and, if possible, exact day). The recall method has previously been widely used in research, as well as justified as a reliable way to obtain the age of menarche [ 26 , 27 ]. It is a validated method, used for several dozen years all over the world [ 28 , 29 ].…”