title: Age at menarche and the menstrual pattern of Igbo women of southeast Nigeria.
abstract: This study determines the age at menarche and menstrual pattern of an Igbo population in 12 randomly selected rural communities of Ebonyi State. Information on recalled ages at menarche, menstrual flow duration and cycle length was collected using a semi structured questionnaire over three months. 1209 women of reproductive age were interviewed. The mean age at menarche was 15.0 years and this declined over the years. The mean menstrual flow duration and cycle lengths were 3.3 days and 29.7 days respectively. Only 10.2% had a menstrual cycle length of 28 days. Account should be taken of the average length of 29-30 days in the rural Igbo population when calculating the expected date of delivery and in the family planning clinics.
authors.affiliation: Rural communities in Ebonyi State of Nigeria, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, Menarche, Menstruation, Pattern, Igbo, Cycle, recall Abakaliki, Ebonyi State - Nigeria. oujair@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ouj
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Umeora
authors.forename: Ve
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Egwuatu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology*; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult