title: The Role of Mother in Informing Girls About Puberty: A Meta-Analysis Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Family, especially the mother, has the most important role in the education, transformation of information, and health behaviors of girls in order for them to have a healthy transition from the critical stage of puberty, but there are different views in this regard.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Considering the various findings about the source of information about puberty, a meta-analysis study was conducted to investigate the extent of the mother's role in informing girls about puberty.
  
  
  METHODS
  This meta-analysis study was based on English articles published from 2000 to February 2015 in the Scopus, PubMed, and Science direct databases and on Persian articles in the SID, Magiran, and Iran Medex databases with determined key words and their MeSH equivalent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative cross-sectional articles were extracted by two independent researchers and finally 46 articles were selected based on inclusion criteria. STROBE list were used for evaluation of studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The percent of mothers as the current and preferred source of gaining information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation from the perspective of adolescent girls was extracted from the articles. The results of studies were analyzed using meta-analysis (random effects model) and the studies' heterogeneity was analyzed using the I(2) calculation index. Variance between studies was analyzed using tau squared (Tau(2)) and review manager 5 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that, from the perspective of teenage girls in Iran and other countries, in 56% of cases, the mother was the current source of information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation. The preferred source of information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation was the mother in all studies at 60% (Iran 57%, and other countries 66%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the findings of this study, it is essential that health professionals and officials of the ministry of health train mothers about the time, trends, and factors affecting the start of puberty using a multi-dimensional approach that involves religious organizations, community groups, and peer groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sooki
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shariati
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chaman
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Related Social and Behavioral Sciences Research, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khosravi
authors.affiliation: School Of Medicine, Ziaeian Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Effatpanah
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Related Social and Behavioral Sciences Research, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Afsaneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keramat
keywords: Menarche; Mother; Puberty