Decline in menarcheal age among Saudi girls

Abstract

Objectives:To estimate age at menarche and to assess trends in menarcheal age among Saudi women.Methods:A prospective longitudinal study was conducted among healthy prepubertal female school children and adolescents from September 2006 to July 2012 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Study participants were invited from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Tanner stage, height, weight, body mass index, and socioeconomic parameters including parent’s level of education were collected. Age at menarche was compared with maternal age at menarche.Results:The study included 265 girls and mothers. Mean±standard deviation (SD) age at menarche for girls was 13.08 ± 1.1 years, and their distribution category across the ≤10 years was 4 (1.5%), 11-14 years was 239 (90.2%), and ≥15 years was 22 (8.3%) girls. Anthropometric measurements, mother’s level of education, and family income were not statistically significant determining factors associated with age at menarche. Mean ± SD age at menarche for mothers was 13.67 ± 1.4 years, and their distribution category across the ≤10 years was 7 (2.6%), 11-14 years was 172 (64.9%), and ≥15 years was 86 (32.5%). Girls attained menarche at younger age compared with their mothers (p<0.0001). A downward secular trend in age of menarche was observed (Cuzick test for trend = 0.049).Conclusion:Saudi girls attain menarcheal age earlier than their mothers, reflecting a downward secular trend in menarcheal age.

Age at Onset of Menarche and Puberty of Girls in Aydin Region and the Factors Affecting Them

“…27 In a study conducted by Al Alwan et al in Saudi Arabia. 28 , the mean AOM was 13.08±1.10 years, and the mother's menarcheal age was 13.67±1.40 years. It has been shown that girls experience menarche at an earlier age than their mothers.…”

Determinants of knowledge and perception about menopause among Saudi women: A cross-sectional study

“…These results are similar to those of other studies conducted on the age at first menstruation in Saudi Arabia. For example, a study conducted in Riyadh found that the mean age at the first menstruation was 13.08 ± 1.1 years old [ 32 ]. The findings of the current study are consistent with those reported in studies conducted in various regions, including Nepal [ 33 , 34 ], the USA [ 35 ], Greece [ 36 ], and France [ 37 ].…”

The Study on Age of Menarche in Girls in the Buldana District of Maharashtra

“…Menarche is the first step of the transformation of a girl to a woman 1 and an important event for each female as it marks the beginning of her adulthood with all its known biological and psychological consequences. 2 The normal mean age of menarche varies substantially between women across different countries and ethnic groups. 3 The recorded mean menarche age in Jordan was 13.1 years, 14.8 years in Ethiopia, 12.5 years in Ghana, and 12.31 years in Croatia.…”

“…5 Recently, the age of puberty becomes important due to the increased recognition of the association between early menarche and the future development of breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. 2 There is a change in the trend of menarche in different parts of the world. It tends to occur earlier among girls in the United States and Europe than in the past decades.…”

“…4 This trend of decreasing age of menarche is still ongoing in countries of the Asian continent. 2 Such data would be considered as the benchmark to predict the occurrence of disease in adulthood. The current lifestyle, food habits, stress in school education, etc., changed drastically in the last few RESEARCH ARTICLE years, so it becomes important to check whether any effect of changed lifestyle on the age of menarche.…”