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Body Mass Index Influences the Age at Menarche and Duration of Menstrual Cycle

Received: 26 September 2014     Accepted: 7 October 2014     Published: 20 October 2014
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Abstract

The changing trends in the prevalence of childhood obesity, early puberty and menarche, and ethnoracial differences in the effect of BMI on the reproductive characteristics of young females around the world, warrants continuous evaluation. Hence, this study aims to investigate possible variations in the influence of BMI on the age at menarche as well as duration of menstrual cycle and menses in young girls in two urban areas in southern Nigeria. Participants (n = 52; median age = 20 years) were classified into 3 groups: normal, NM (n = 27; BMI = 21.0 ± 2.0 Kg/m2), overweight, OW (n = 14; BMI = 28.1 ± 1.2 Kg/m2) and obese, OB (n = 11; BMI = 31.5 ± 0.6 Kg/m2). BMI was calculated from the equation; BMI = weight, kg/height, m2. Cross-sectional data on menarche and menstrual cycle patterns were obtained through self-administered questionnaires. Data analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the BMI (p< 0.0001). Though the mean(± SD) ages at menarche were similar (NM = 13.0 ± 1.2 years; OW = 12.9 ± 0.9 years; OB = 13.7 ± 0.9 years)(p> 0.05), the average duration of the menstrual cycle (NM = 27.3 ± 1.4 days; OW = 27.9 ± 0.6 days; OB = 29.4 ± 1.4 days) and menstrual bleeding (NM = 4.4 ± 0.6 days; OW = 4.4 ± 0.8 days; OB = 5.4 ± 0.9 days) differed significantly according to the BMI (p< 0.0001 and p< 0.05 respectively). There was an increase in the average length of the menstrual cycle and menses with increased BMI (r = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.28 – 0.69, p< 0.0001) and (r = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.12 – 0.59, p< 0.05) respectively. However, the correlation between BMI and age at menarche was weak (r = 0.25, 95% CI = -0.02 – 0.49, p> 0.05); and the average duration of the menstrual cycle tend to decrease with older menarcheal age, though this was not statistically significant (r = -0.02, 95% CI = -0.29 – 0.26, p> 0.05). Girls with higher BMI experience longer menstrual cycle and menses compared to their normal weight counterparts. The effect of BMI on age at menarche and the relationship between early onset of menarche and the duration of menstrual cycles and menses later in life may not be causal. Further investigations may resolve these differences in relation to the reproductive characteristics of young females.

Published in American Journal of Health Research (Volume 2, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24
Page(s) 310-315
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2014. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Body Mass Index, Menarche, Menstrual Cycle, Menses

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Sonia Izoduwa Osayande, Janet Ogochukwu Ozoene, Emmanuel Amabebe. (2014). Body Mass Index Influences the Age at Menarche and Duration of Menstrual Cycle. American Journal of Health Research, 2(5), 310-315. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24

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    ACS Style

    Sonia Izoduwa Osayande; Janet Ogochukwu Ozoene; Emmanuel Amabebe. Body Mass Index Influences the Age at Menarche and Duration of Menstrual Cycle. Am. J. Health Res. 2014, 2(5), 310-315. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24

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    AMA Style

    Sonia Izoduwa Osayande, Janet Ogochukwu Ozoene, Emmanuel Amabebe. Body Mass Index Influences the Age at Menarche and Duration of Menstrual Cycle. Am J Health Res. 2014;2(5):310-315. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24,
      author = {Sonia Izoduwa Osayande and Janet Ogochukwu Ozoene and Emmanuel Amabebe},
      title = {Body Mass Index Influences the Age at Menarche and Duration of Menstrual Cycle},
      journal = {American Journal of Health Research},
      volume = {2},
      number = {5},
      pages = {310-315},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajhr.20140205.24},
      abstract = {The changing trends in the prevalence of childhood obesity, early puberty and menarche, and ethnoracial differences in the effect of BMI on the reproductive characteristics of young females around the world, warrants continuous evaluation. Hence, this study aims to investigate possible variations in the influence of BMI on the age at menarche as well as duration of menstrual cycle and menses in young girls in two urban areas in southern Nigeria. Participants (n = 52; median age = 20 years) were classified into 3 groups: normal, NM (n = 27; BMI = 21.0 ± 2.0 Kg/m2), overweight, OW (n = 14; BMI = 28.1 ± 1.2 Kg/m2) and obese, OB (n = 11; BMI = 31.5 ± 0.6 Kg/m2). BMI was calculated from the equation; BMI = weight, kg/height, m2. Cross-sectional data on menarche and menstrual cycle patterns were obtained through self-administered questionnaires. Data analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the BMI (p 0.05), the average duration of the menstrual cycle (NM = 27.3 ± 1.4 days; OW = 27.9 ± 0.6 days; OB = 29.4 ± 1.4 days) and menstrual bleeding (NM = 4.4 ± 0.6 days; OW = 4.4 ± 0.8 days; OB = 5.4 ± 0.9 days) differed significantly according to the BMI (p 0.05); and the average duration of the menstrual cycle tend to decrease with older menarcheal age, though this was not statistically significant (r = -0.02, 95% CI = -0.29 – 0.26, p> 0.05). Girls with higher BMI experience longer menstrual cycle and menses compared to their normal weight counterparts. The effect of BMI on age at menarche and the relationship between early onset of menarche and the duration of menstrual cycles and menses later in life may not be causal. Further investigations may resolve these differences in relation to the reproductive characteristics of young females.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Body Mass Index Influences the Age at Menarche and Duration of Menstrual Cycle
    AU  - Sonia Izoduwa Osayande
    AU  - Janet Ogochukwu Ozoene
    AU  - Emmanuel Amabebe
    Y1  - 2014/10/20
    PY  - 2014
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24
    T2  - American Journal of Health Research
    JF  - American Journal of Health Research
    JO  - American Journal of Health Research
    SP  - 310
    EP  - 315
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8796
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20140205.24
    AB  - The changing trends in the prevalence of childhood obesity, early puberty and menarche, and ethnoracial differences in the effect of BMI on the reproductive characteristics of young females around the world, warrants continuous evaluation. Hence, this study aims to investigate possible variations in the influence of BMI on the age at menarche as well as duration of menstrual cycle and menses in young girls in two urban areas in southern Nigeria. Participants (n = 52; median age = 20 years) were classified into 3 groups: normal, NM (n = 27; BMI = 21.0 ± 2.0 Kg/m2), overweight, OW (n = 14; BMI = 28.1 ± 1.2 Kg/m2) and obese, OB (n = 11; BMI = 31.5 ± 0.6 Kg/m2). BMI was calculated from the equation; BMI = weight, kg/height, m2. Cross-sectional data on menarche and menstrual cycle patterns were obtained through self-administered questionnaires. Data analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the BMI (p 0.05), the average duration of the menstrual cycle (NM = 27.3 ± 1.4 days; OW = 27.9 ± 0.6 days; OB = 29.4 ± 1.4 days) and menstrual bleeding (NM = 4.4 ± 0.6 days; OW = 4.4 ± 0.8 days; OB = 5.4 ± 0.9 days) differed significantly according to the BMI (p 0.05); and the average duration of the menstrual cycle tend to decrease with older menarcheal age, though this was not statistically significant (r = -0.02, 95% CI = -0.29 – 0.26, p> 0.05). Girls with higher BMI experience longer menstrual cycle and menses compared to their normal weight counterparts. The effect of BMI on age at menarche and the relationship between early onset of menarche and the duration of menstrual cycles and menses later in life may not be causal. Further investigations may resolve these differences in relation to the reproductive characteristics of young females.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Physiology, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

  • Department of Physiology, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

  • Department of Physiology, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

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