title: Age at Menarche and Its Association with Excess Weight and Body Fat Percentage in Girls in the Southwestern Region of the Brazilian Amazon.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze age at menarche and its association with excess weight and body fat percentage.
  
  
  METHODS
  School-based cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Southwestern region of the Brazilian Amazon.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was made up of 727 girls, in the 8- to 16-year age range, divided into 3 groups: early, normal, and late menarche, from public and private schools, selected through proportional stratified random sampling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bioimpedance was used to measure body fat percentage and body mass index, applying the Global School-Based Student Health Survey questionnaire to categorize behavior variables. Age at menarche was determined using the status quo method. Sexual maturity was assessed through self-assessment according to criteria described by Tanner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall age at menarche was 11.52 (±1.35), early 10.48 (±0.78), normal 12.39 (±0.50) and late 14.27 (±0.51) years. Prevalence of excess weight and body fat was 28.3% (206/727) and 44.3% (322/727), among those with menarche. There was a positive association between excess weight and body fat with age at early menarche (P = .000 and .015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age at menarche among girls from the Amazon region is similar to that of industrialized countries. Prevalence of excess weight and body fat was high, and there was evidence of an association between age with early menarche and excess weight. Trends in age at menarche and stage of sexual maturation should be monitored with related factors, to adopt obesity control strategies from an early age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Rondônia, Rondônia, Brazil. Electronic address: igemelli500@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ivanice Fernandes
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Barcellos Gemelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Rondônia, Rondônia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edson Dos Santos
authors.initials: EDS
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Acre, Acre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Orivaldo Florêncio
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000502:physiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013334:Students; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Adolescent; Menarche; Obesity; Puberty