• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2012

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the mean age of menarche, its secular trend in Korean women, and the relationship between malocclusion and the rate of skeletal maturation, as defined by menarcheal age. Methods: We retrospectively collected data on menarcheal age from 931 Korean women born during 1961 - 1997. Subjects were divided by the malocclusion type and birth-year decade into 3 and 4 groups, respectively. The mean menarcheal age for each group was determined, and one-way ANOVA was performed for intergroup comparison (p = 0.05). Two-way ANOVA was also performed to compare all the 12 subgroups (p = 0.05). Results: The mean age of menarche was 12.82 years for Korean women born during 1961 - 1997. A distinct downward secular trend of menarcheal age was noticed (p < 0.05). For the birth-year decade 1961 - 1970, the Class III malocclusion group showed earlier onset of menarche than the other malocclusion groups (p < 0.05), but the other birth-year groups did not show any significant difference in the type of malocclusion (p > 0.05). Conclusions: A positive secular trend towards earlier menarche exists among Korean women. Malocclusion does not show any significant relationship with the rate of skeletal maturation, as defined by menarcheal age.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.121-129
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study were to compare general characteristic of high school girls according to menarcheal age and to investigate the factors associated with the menarcheal age of high school girls. Methods: This study utilized the data of the 2013 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS). The sample included 18,077 high school girls who experienced menarche. The questionnaires used for this study assessed menacheal age, grade, place of residence, family affluence, height, weight, diet pattern, physical activity, sleep duration, and stress level. Data was analyzed using the complex sample analysis (${\chi}^2$-test, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis). Results: Higher BMI, frequent vegetable consumption, short sleep duration, and higher stress level were associated with an earlier menarcheal age among high school girls. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate intervention strategies to control the timing of menarche.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.66-73
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• 1992

The objective of the study is to review the research materials for menarche including general characteristics of target population surveyed, mean age of subject, menarche experience rates of the subject and mean age at menarche, and to analyze secular trends of age at menarche in Korea from 1935 to 1992. The results of the study summarized as follows; 1. The range of age in the target pulation for menarcheal research was mainly 10-29 age groups, and most of them were middle, high school girls and college students. 2. There was positive relationship among mean age at menarche, level of menarche experiences rates and mean age of the subject(P<0.01). 3. In the relationship between the mean age at menarche and the level of menarche experience rate of the subject, the subject of study with higher menarche experience were more likely to be higher mean age at menarche than those with lower menarche experience rates. In case of menarcheal experience rates at 75-90 percent among the subject, the values of more and median were more close to the actual mean age at menarche under the assumption that all of the subject had experience menarche. 4. The trends of age at menarche during 1935-92 were linear decrement: Y = 85.93-0.036X in the whole country and Y = 91.35-0.039X in Seoul. The rates of secular diminution in age at menarche calculated to be about 4.3 months per decade in the nation-wide, and 4.6 months in Seoul during the periods. 5. To analyze the secular trends in menarcheal age, the researcher should set up criterians including the range of age in target population, the level of menarcheal experience rate and the regional characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to compare the growth development between age-matched 51 postmenarcheal girls (mean age 153.1$\pm$5.8 month) who were rapidly maturing and 51 premenarcheal girls (mean age 153.1$\pm$5.7 month) who were slowly maturing. Anthropometirc measurements were taken for height, body weight, body fat(%), waist and hip circumferences of subjects. These measurements of menarcheal girls were significantly higher than those of nonmenarcheal girls. There was no significant difference in BMI distribution between two groups. However, 43.2% and 20.0% respectively in the menarcheal and nonmenarcheal girls had body fat levels of 30% or above. There were significant differences in the anthropometric measurements during past 4 years from 3rd grade elementary school to present. The greatest difference between the two groups were the amount and the rate of increased height and body weight from age 9 to 10. Among menarcheal girls, height, body weight, BMI, and Röhrer index were positively related to the onset of menarche. Distinctively, there was a stronger relationship between age at menarche and anthropometric measurements when the girls were 5th grade elementary school children. These findings support that during childhood and puberty, obese girls grow faster and have earlier menarche. Furthermore, the importance of prevention of obesity was recognized in order to accelerate growth of height among the girls by delaying the age of menarche.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.227-234
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• 2012

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.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.344-351
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• 2015

Purpose: During the recent decades, the age at menarche continued to decline in Korea and worldwide. Prior studies have suggested that early menarche may increase the risk of various social, psychological, and physical health problems in young adolescent girls, but little is known about the determinants associated with early menarche. The purpose of this study is to evaluate independent determinants of early menarche among 5th~6th female graders in South Korea. Methods: Our analysis was conducted in 95 menarcheal girls and 95 age-matched pre-menarcheal girls residing in Daegu, South Korea. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics were collected using survey questionnaires for children and parents. Dietary information was assessed by 2 day~24 hour food records and survey questionnaires, which were completed by both children and their parents. Anthropometric data were obtained from the student health check-ups at the school. Results: A multiple logistic regression analysis using a conditional likelihood method was performed for simultaneous evaluation of several risk factors. There were significant differences in that higher proportion of obesity (OR, odds ratio = 5.60, 95% CI, confidence interval = 1.34~23.42), shorter sleep duration (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.23~0.87), and younger mother's age at menarche (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.44~0.93) were observed in the menarcheal group compared to the pre-menarcheal group. Conclusion: These findings indicate a possible association of sleep duration, mother's menarcheal age, and obesity with age at menarche. A well-planned, prospective cohort study is warranted to examine causal relationship.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.88-102
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• 1992

The exact estimation of physical growth by Obesity level has important meaning to the health care and evaluation on adolescent girls. So this study tried to clear the relationship between weight and body fat by using data for the height, weight of 124 elementary school children and high school student in Seoul. Then this study tried to show the physical growth pattern and various characteristics by Obesity level by using longitudinal for the height, weight of 1113 high school students in Seoul, and it also tried to show what influencing factors on the physical growth of this aged population. The result could be summarized as follows. 1. The relationship between weight and body fat(%) has 0.81475(r) at age 9 and 0.69361(r) at age 18. Also the relationship between weight and lean body muscle(LBM %) has -0.81470(r) at age 9 and -0.64729(r) at age 18. 2. The weakness, normal and obesity groups were classified by Obesity level. In case of weakness group showed the very low Obesity level at age 8 to 11, in case of obesity group showed the high Obesity level at age 15 to 18. Also Rohrer index was decreasing tendency up to age 12 in weakness group and increasing tendency over age 14 in obesity group. 3. When the height and weight growth pattern was compared, height growth was superior to weight growth at age 9 to 14.5 in normal group. But weight growth was inferior to height growth at age 9 to 14.5 in normal group. In obesity group, weight growth was superior to height growth at age 7 to 18. On the other hand the height growth of weakness group was superior to the normal group and the obesity group except age 11 to 12. 4. On height velocity curve by PHV age obesity group showed the most growth amount per year(9.00Cm/yr), and the next is normal group(8.77Cm/yr), weakness group(8.70Cm/yr). Then the difference between PHV age and PWV age was within 1 year in these three groups. 5. In these three groups, height velocity curve by menarcheal age showed the PHV before 2~3 years of menarcheal age. And weight velocity curve by menarcheal age showed the remarkable PWV before 1 year of menarcheal age.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.28 no.3 s.68
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• pp.409-417
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• 1998

The 123 left hand-wrist radiographs and menarcheal ages attained by direct questioning to patients or her mothers are used, in order to exploit the relationship between the bone maturity and the menarcheal age of girls in adolescence. The results were as follows, 1. The mean age at menarche was $12.31{\pm}0.99$. 2. The onset of menarche occurred at SMI 7 and SMI 8 ($73.33\%$). The onset of menarche was correlated with skeletal age rather than chronological age. 3. There was statistically significant difference among the time passed from menarche according to skeletal maturity level. 4. The distal epiphyseal union of radius began at about 20 months after menarche. 5. In comparision of the time intervals from menarche to radial epiphyseal fusion among early, average, and late menarcheal age groups, late group had lesser time interval than other two groups.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.9
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• pp.355-361
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• 2016

The menarcheal age of Korean women has been rapidly decreasing for the last 50 years, and the average menarcheal age of women born in the 1990s is approaching 12.6 years. In addition, interest in early puberty has been increasing recently owing to the rapid increase in precocious puberty. Generally, out of concern for short stature and early menarche, idiopathic central precocious puberty in female adolescents is treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs. Studies to date have described the association between early menarche and psychosocial problems such as delinquency and risky sexual behavior, as well as physical health problems such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and breast cancer throughout the lifespan of women. However, the pathophysiological mechanism underlying this association has not been clarified thus far. In this article, we review and discuss the existing literature to describe the current understanding of the effects of early menarche on the physical and psychosocial health of adolescent girls and adult women.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.74-86
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• 1991

This study tried to clear the characteristics of height growth pattern depending on Peak Height Velocity age in early, average and late groups. And in it, height growth tendency of girl students in age 7 to 18 years old was compared and investigated in order to know influencing factors, menarcheal age relation. The samples were senior girl students at high school in Seoul. Longitudinal data and survey data were collected in August, 1990. The results could be summarized as follows: 1. On distance curve, the height growth line in early group tended to be the highest and in late group the lowest. On the other hand, on velocity curve late group showed the highest peak and early group showed the lowest peak. In late group, velocity curve was too steep. Of course, these early, average and late groups were classified by PHV age. 2. In these three groups, late group showed the most growth amount per year. However, on distance curve, early group showed higher line than late group. Perhaps this means that peak growth amount in late group might have an effect on mean. 3. Growth amount of adolescence spurt age in these three groups was 6.86cm at age 9(early group), 7.27cm at l1(average group) and 7.65cm at 13(late group). In early group, because. PHV age came too early, it was difficult to find exact adolescence spurt period. In early group, the adolescence spurt period is considered to come at about age 7 to 9. In average group, at 9 to 11 and at 12 to 13 in late group. Especially, spurt of late group was remarkable. 4. When the growth amount of PA, before PA and after PA was compared, growth amount of PA in all three groups was about 20%. In early group, growth amount of APV tended to be large and in late group, that of APV tended to be large and in late group, that of BPV was large. In average group, growth amount of BPV was larger than that of APV. 5. For the purpose of comparing total height growth amount of these groups at age 18, the height growth was assumed to be over. And then, the difference of three groups was studied but it's not significant. 6. Although the difference between height growth and family environment, dietary habits, exercise, disease history in these three groups was investigated, only the income was significant. The significance of all the other factors was not approved. 7. When menarcheal age was compared with PA, generally we know menarche appeared after 1∼2 years of PHV age. But in case of early group, the difference between PHV age and menarcheal age was 5.34 years. In average group, 2.45 years and 0.82 years in late group.