Relationship between age at menarche and body measurements among Mongolian girls
Keywords:
Menarche age, Body mass index, Body fat percentageAbstract
Objective: Age at menarche is an important marker of female reproductive maturation and a predictor of future health outcomes. Although menarche timing is influenced by multiple genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors, the association between anthropometric characteristics and age at menarche among Mongolian girls remains poorly understood. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anthropometric measures and age at menarche in Mongolian girls. Methods: Our study was conducted quantitative method, a cross-sectional study design among Mongolian school aged girls. To minimize recall bias, analyses were restricted to 317 girls who had attained menarche during the study year or within the preceding year. Anthropometric measurements, including body composition and body circumferences, were obtained using standardized procedures. Associations between anthropometric variables and age at menarche were evaluated using Pearson correlation and multivariable regression analyses. Results: The mean age of participants was 12.9 ± 1.4 years, and the mean age at menarche was 12.3 ± 1.3 years. Age at menarche was positively correlated with hip circumference, sitting height, and knee height (all p < 0.001), and negatively correlated with waist circumference (p < 0.05). No significant associations were observed for body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), mid-upper-arm circumference, or birth weight. In multivariable regression analysis, waist circumference was independently associated with earlier menarche, whereas hip circumference and knee height were associated with later menarche. Strong positive correlations were observed among adiposity-related measures, particularly BMI, waist circumference, and hip circumference (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Waist circumference, hip circumference, and knee height were significant anthropometric correlates of menarche timing among Mongolian girls, highlighting the potential role of body size and composition in pubertal development.
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