Epidemiological Study
Age at menarche and menstrual cycle pattern among school adolescent girls in China
Shan Luo, Qiguo Lian, Yanyan Mao, Song Jin, Weijin Zhou, Shucheng Zhang, Shangwei Li
Published 2017-03-25
Cite as Chin J Reprod Contracep, 2017, 37(3): 208-212. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.2096-2916.2017.03.007
Abstract
ObjectiveTo determine the age at menarche and patterns of menstruation among school girls in China.
MethodsWith multi-stage sampling, 5 981 primary and middle school students from both urban and rural areas in eight provinces were investigated anonymously with the method of computer assisted self-interview (CASI).
ResultsMenarche was attained at the age of (12.7±0.0) years, (12.4±0.0) years and (13.0±0.0) years for urban and rural respectively (P<0.01). The mean interval between menarche and regular cycle was (1.2±0.0) years. Analysis on the menstrual cycle pattern according to the time post menarche showed that the proportion of participants with regular cycle were similar in different time post menarche (P=0.33); the proportion of participants with blood flow duration between 4-7 d and moderate blood flow were increased with time (P<0.01); the incidence of dysmenorrhoea and degree of pain were increased with time (P<0.01).
ConclusionThe age of menarche of urban was 0.6 year earlier than that of rural. The proportion of participants with regular cycle was similar after 1 year postmenarche. The duration and amount of menstrual blood flow become the pattern of adult women with time. The incidence of dysmenorrhoea and severe pain increased with time.
Key words:
Menarche; Puberty development; Girls; Dysmenorrhoea
Contributor Information
Shan Luo
West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Key Lab. of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu 610041, China
Qiguo Lian
Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Shanghai 200237, China
Yanyan Mao
Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Shanghai 200237, China
Song Jin
West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Key Lab. of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu 610041, China
Weijin Zhou
Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Shanghai 200237, China
Shucheng Zhang
National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing 100081, China
Shangwei Li
West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Key Lab. of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu 610041, China
