OBJECTIVETo explore the association between early menarche and physical fitness among adolescent girls in China.

METHODSResearch material was selected from the data of "2010 National Physical Fitness and Health Survey". Probability unit regression method was used to calculate the age of 10th percentile at menarche and menarche age before the 10th percentile was defined as early menarche(9.0-11.6 years old). A total of 1072 girls with early menarche were selected. Each girl with early menarche was matched with one girl from the same urban or rural locations who hadn't achieved menarche with the age difference less than 0.1 years. A total of 1072 girls without menarche were selected. Indicators of physical fitness included 50 m running, standing broad jump, 50 m×8 shuttle running and sit-ups. Differences of physical fitness between early menarche and without menarche were analyzed using t test stratified by age and urban/rural area. The multilevel models of single dependent variable and multiple dependent variables were used to analyze association between early menarche and physical fitness.

RESULTSA total of 2144 students were put in this research. Among girls (11.0-11.6 years old) in urban areas, 50 m running, standing broad jump and sit-ups was (9.78 ± 0.85) s, (153.81 ± 18.59) cm, and 27.79 ± 10.25, respectively for those with early menarche, while in girls without menarche was (10.01 ± 0.90) s, (149.71 ± 18.72) cm and 26.28 ± 10.11, respectively. There were significant differences between two groups on all above variables (t values were 4.02, 3.43 and 2.31, respectively with all P values <0.01). Among girls in rural, 50 m×8 shuttle-running and sit-ups was (125.22 ± 15.57) s and 24.96 ± 8.97 for those with early menarche, while it was (120.92 ± 13.06) s and 22.96 ± 9.83 for those without menarche. There were significant differences between two groups on both variables(t values were 3.89 and 2.77 with both P values < 0.01). In addition, 50 m×8 shuttle-running in girls (10.0-10.9 years old) with early menarche was (128.52 ± 15.74) s and it was (123.89 ± 13.50) s in girls without menarche. The difference was significant (t = 2.14, P < 0.05). The multilevel analysis showed that 50 m running, standing broad jump and sit-ups in girls with early menarche was 0.12 s, 3.14 cm and 1.11 higher than girls without menarche (Waldχ(2) values were 4.00, 6.22 and 4.07, respectively with all P values < 0.05). But 50 m×8 shuttle-running in girls with early menarche was 1.95 s less than girls without menarche (Waldχ(2) = 3.96, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEarly menarche may be associated with higher speed fitness, leg power and muscle power and lower physical stamina.

Child ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Menarche ; physiology ; Models, Statistical ; Physical Fitness ; physiology ; Rural Population ; Students ; Urban Population

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the impact of menarche age (MA) on obese status in late puberty (LP) and mid-life (ML) females.

METHODS2035 girls aged 16 to 18 years were selected from a Beijing Child and Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome (BCAMS) study, which was performed from April to October in 2004, as the LP study population. 479 women aged 41 to 52 years were from the Fetal Origin of Adult Disease (FOAD) cohort, which established in 1995 to 2001, as the ML study population. Based on the 25 and 75 percentile of MA of each population, all subjects of LP and ML were divided into early, middle, and late matured groups, respectively. Overweight and obesity were defined by Chinese age-, gender-specific BMI criteria for LP girls, and Chinese BMI criteria for ML women while central obesity was defined by the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) cutoff of 0.5. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the associations between MA and BMI, waist circumference (WC) and WHtR. The impact of early menarche on obese status in late life was estimated by odds ratio (OR) using logistic regression analyses.

RESULTSThe prevalence of overweight and obesity increased with the decrease of MA in both LP and ML population. When MA had a one-year advance, a 0.58 kg/m2 increase in BMI and a 1.1 cm increase in WC during LP, and a 0.35 kg/m2 increase in BMI and a 0.6 cm increase in WC during ML were observed. After adjustment for age, residence area and life style related variables, those who experienced earlier menarche were at higher risk of suffering from obesity in LP (OR :8.740, 95% CI: 3.653-20.911) and during ML (2.498, 1.145-5.453) when compared to those with later menarche. We also noticed that the risk increased for central obesity [LP: 14.280 (3.223-63. 267), ML: 15.604 (1.821-133.679)].

CONCLUSIONMenarche age appeared to be an independent predictor for obese status in LP and ML among women.

Adiposity ; physiology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Menarche ; physiology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Puberty ; physiology ; Risk Factors

Maximizing peak bone mass is advocated as a way to prevent osteoporosis. To evaluate the peak bone mass and the affecting factors in Korean women, we analyzed bone stiffness in 116 middle school students, 118 high school students and 115 female college students by using the Achilles densitometer (Lunar Corporation). Peak bone stiffness of Korean women was relatively lower than that of white women (94% of white women) and a rapid rise of bone stiffness was observed in those subjects 3-4 years after menarche. In adolescent females without menstruation, the bone stiffness was lower than that of adolescent girls with menstruation. The factors affecting the peak bone mass was similar to the risk factors of post menopausal osteoporosis: menstruation status, calcium intake and physical activity. The amount of calcium intake in Korean girls at the critical age (3-4 years after menarche) was lower than the RDA (requirement of daily allowance) at this age. To improve any program aimed at maximizing peak bone mass, further intensive study will be required to evaluate some other common factors affecting peak bone mass in Korean.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aging/physiology ; *Bone Density ; Bone and Bones/drug effects/physiology ; Calcium, Dietary/pharmacology ; Child ; Elasticity ; Female ; Human ; Korea ; Menarche

OBJECTIVES: The object of this study was to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and early menarche in adolescent girls in Seoul. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted with 144 middle school students in Seoul who provided informed consent. We measured their body composition, and used the questionnaire survey method for data collection from November to December 2008. Past elemental body composition data were collected from elementary school health records of first year of middle school. RESULTS: The early menarcheal group was taller and heavier than the late menarcheal group (p<0.05 from 8-12 years old). The body fat percentage (%), BMI were higher in the early menarcheal girls than the late-menarcheal girls (p<0.05, age at 13). In the result of multiple logistic regression, the BMI at the age of 8 and 9 was associated with early menarche after adjusting for birth weight, breast feeding and age at menarche of the mother (BMI at the age of 8: p for trend=0.01, BMI at the age of 9: p for trend=0.04). An increase in BMI from 7 to 8 year was associated with early menarche after adjusting for birth weight, breast feeding, age at menarche of the mother (p for trend=0.048). CONCLUSIONS: The BMI at the age of 8 and 9 was associated with the early menarche of girls and increase in BMI from 7 to 8 year was associated with the early menarche of girls. These results suggest that BMI and increase in BMI before menarche cause early menarche. Although this study does not represent all Korean adolescent girls, it is one of the few studies that have investigated the temporal relationship between BMI and early menarche.
Adipose Tissue/*physiology ; Adolescent ; Age of Onset ; Body Composition/physiology ; *Body Mass Index ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Menarche/*physiology ; Obesity/physiopathology ; Overweight/*physiopathology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: Mothers who smoke during pregnancy or while their children are small were common in some populations. Epidemiological studies have tried to detect the effect of prenatal tobacco smoke (PTS), and childhood environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on puberty timing have not shown a consensus results. We aimed to examine current evidence and estimate the associations between PTS or/and ETS and puberty timing. METHODS: Seven databases were searched from inception to May 2017. All the cohort studies examining the associations between PTS and/or ETS and puberty timing were identified. Two reviewers independently screened all studies, evaluated the quality of eligible studies, and extracted the data. The quality assessment of the eligible cohort studies was based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Risk ratio (RR), standard mean difference (SMD), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and pooled by CMA (Version 2.0, Biostat, Inc., USA). RESULTS: Compared with controls, girls with PTS and ETS exposure have an earlier age at menarche (SMD - 0.087, 95% CI 0.174 to - 0.000), and similar results were found in both PTS subgroup (SMD - 0.097, 95% CI - 0.192 to - 0.002) and prospective cohort subgroup (SMD - 0.171, 95% CI - 0.253 to - 0.090). And number of boys with early voice break in PTS group was significantly increasing than non-exposed boys (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.40). CONCLUSIONS PTS exposure possibly decrease age of menarche of girls, and studies on boys were urgent needed. Appropriate and comprehensive outcome measures using unified criteria to classify puberty should be reported in future studies.
Aging ; physiology ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Menarche ; physiology ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; etiology ; Puberty ; physiology ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the status of pubertal development in children born with assisted reproductive technology (ART).

METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed on the pubertal development data of children born with ART in Peking University Third Hospital from 1994 to 2003 (ART group). The data in the cross-sectional study "Reports on the Physical Fitness and Health Research of Chinese School Students in 2010" were used as a control. The age at menarche and the age at spermarche were compared between the two groups. The status of pubertal development in the overweight and obese children in the ART group was evaluated to investigate the correlation between pubertal development and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTSA total of 200 children born with ART were enrolled in this study, and 72 of them (41 males and 31 females) completed the survey (response rate=36.0%). In the ART group, the mean age at spermarche and the mean age at menarche were 13.9 years (95%CI: 13.7-14.3 years) and 12.2 years (95%CI: 11.8-12.6 years), respectively. There were no significant differences in the age at spermarche and the age at menarche between the ART and control groups (P>0.05). In the ART group, there were no significant differences in the age at spermarche and the age at menarche between the overweight and obese children and the normal weight children (P>0.05). There were also no significant differences in overweight rate and obesity rate between the children in the ART group and the adolescents in Beijing (P>0.05). In the ART group, there was no significant correlation between the age at spermarche or menarche and BMI (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSNo delayed or precocious puberty is observed in children born with ART. This is consistent with the normal control data. And there is no significant correlation between pubertal development and BMI in children born with ART.

Adolescent ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Child Development ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Menarche ; Obesity ; physiopathology ; Overweight ; physiopathology ; Puberty ; physiology ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Retrospective Studies

The aim of this study was to represent the trend of early menarche and to assess the association of age at menarche with anthropometric profiles of Korean children and adolescents. A cross sectional survey was conducted with 13,371 girls aged 10 to 18 yr, recruited nationwide from April, 2005 to March, 2006. Height, weight and waist circumference of the subjects were measured; and the subjects self-reported their ages at menarche. We found that the menarcheal girls were taller (P<0.05 for the girls between 10 and 14 yr) and heavier (P<0.05 for the girls between 10 and 18 yr) than non-menarcheal ones. Menarcheal girls also showed higher body mass index (BMI), and greater waist circumference than non-menarcheal ones. Significant differences were represented according to the age at menarche in terms of BMI, waist circumference, % body fat mass, waist hip ratio and neck circumference as well as height and weight (P<0.05). In conclusion, girls who matured early were taller and heavier in early adolescence than those who matured later.
Adolescent ; Body Fat Distribution ; Body Height ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; *Body Weights and Measures ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Menarche/*physiology ; Republic of Korea ; Waist Circumference ; Waist-Hip Ratio