Menarche age in Western

Introduction: Menarche is a part of puberty. Menarche onset is important and menarche age decreasing over the world. We aimed to investigate the age of menarche and also the effect of anthropometric measurements in menarche age. Method: This cross sectional study was conducted in September- December 2013 in the center of Canakkale as a part of a School Health Project. We interviewed with female students aged 10-14 years in five secondary schools. We asked their age, the monthly income of their families, the menarche age, regularity of menstruation, length of cycle, duration of menstruation, and dysmenorrhea, and recorded the responses in the questionnaire. The height and weight of the students were measured as defined in the guidelines. Results: The mean menarche age was 12.3 ± 0.8 [10.6-13.9] years. Regular menstruation was defined in 62.7% students. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 53.3%. The anthropometric measurements were related to the menarche age, with the exception of BMI. Length of students and menarche age was positively correlated. Conclusion: The mean of menarche age was 12.3 ± 0.8 years, and decreased in comparison to the literature from Turkey. The anthropometric measures may be related to menstruation, but not BMI. The menarche age is positively correlated with height. That implies that the height increases until menarche occurs.