Factors Associated with Age at Menarche of Secondary School Girls in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

摘要

Background: Early onset of menarche is a risk factor for breast cancer on the other hand delayed menarche affects the reproductive function. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of anthropometric measures and parents’ socio-demographic factors on age at menarche among secondary school girls in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh.Methods: The data was collected from 300 students from several secondary schools in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. ANOVA and Student t-test were performed to find the relationship between the age at menarche and body measurements and different socio-demographic factors of the parents.Results: The results revealed that the mean and median ages at menarche of secondary school girls were 12.19±1.04 and 12.75 years, respectively. More than 68% school girls reached menarche in normal age (12-13 years), and only 5.70% got menarche at early age (9-10 years). Student t-test demonstrated that taller girls reached menarche significantly (p<0.05) earlier than their counterparts whereas underweight girls got menarche significantly (p<0.05) later than normal and overweight girls. Early menarche was especially found among the girls who came from high socio-economic status, having relatively high chest circumference and with both the parents working in government or non-government organizations. Conclusion: The results suggest that heavier girls and girls come from rich family are more likely to attain menarche earlier than their counterparts.