title: Menarcheal age in Turkey: secular trend and socio-demographic correlates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Menarche is an important indicator for assessing the developmental status of pubertal girls. Despite its importance, there is no nationwide information on menarcheal age in Turkey.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper is the first attempt to examine age at menarche for Turkey as a whole. The aim is to present the secular trend of menarcheal age and variations across different socio-demographic groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were employed from the Turkey Demographic and Health Survey, 2008. Mean menarcheal ages were estimated for birth cohorts and socio-demographic sub-groups. The pace of decline in menarcheal age has been estimated using multiple linear regression analysis, controlling for year of birth and other variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age at menarche was estimated as 13.30 (95% CI = 13.26-13.35). It was estimated as 13.17 years (95% CI 12.95-13.38) for the youngest birth cohort (1989-1993), as opposed to 13.44 (95% CI 13.37-13.52) years for the cohort born in 1959-1968.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regression analysis indicated a decrease of 1.44 months per decade, providing evidence of a secular trend in menarcheal age in Turkey. Further results suggested childhood place of residence, education, welfare status and number of siblings to be significantly associated with menarcheal age.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies, 06100, Sıhhiye, Ankara, Turkey. tadali@hacettepe.edu.tr
authors.forename: Tuğba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adalı
authors.forename: Ismet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koç
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult