The influence of socioeconomic and nutritional status on menarche in Nigerian school girls.
A study of 352 randomly selected secondary school girls in an urban population in Southern Western Nigeria revealed a mean menarcheal age of 13.94 +/- 1.31 years and that 76.8% of girls attained menarche between ages 13 and 15 years. Age-matched pre- and post-menarcheal girls did not differ significantly in biophysical measurements, however, nutritional status was strongly and positively associated with attainment of menarche. School girls from the upper socio-economic class reached menarche 11 months earlier than the lower socio-economic counterparts. A significant finding of this study is that the declaration rate in age at menarche was slowest in girls from high socio-economic households. This deceleration was not influenced by body mass suggesting that socio-economic factors play a unique role in the secular trend widely reported in menarcheal age.
Abioye-Kuteyi
E A
EA
Department of Community Health, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Ojofeitimi
E O
EO
Aina
O I
OI
Kio
F
F
Aluko
Y
Y
Mosuro
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology*; D009549:Nigeria; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors