Excess weight as a promote factor of menarche. A study of secular trend in girls from La Plata city (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

TORRES MF; GARRAZA M; BERGEL ML; LUNA ME; QUINTERO FA; NAVAZO B; CESANI MF

Denver

Congreso; 47thAnnual Meeting of the Human Biology Association; 2022

Human Biology Association

The age at menarche (AgM) has decreased over the last century according to the literature. Although the reasons are not completely known, one possible explanation relates to the childhood obesogenic environment, since the gene pool remains “relatively” stable over time. The aim of this study was to compare prevalence of menarche (M) and AgM in two cohorts from La Plata city and evaluate whether they differ from each other and in relation to the presence of excess weight (EW). Both cohorts (C) come from cross-sectional studies: C1 (years: 2005-2007; N=418) and C2 (years: 2014-2017; N=474) conducted with the same methodological sampling criteria (8-14 years old and schools). Presence (MP)/absence (MA) of menarche was recorded, prevalence were calculated and compared by Chi2 test. According to status quo method and logistic regression analysis, AgM was estimated and compared between C. Likewise, BMI was calculated from weight (kg) and height (cm) and standardized to Z-scores (WHO) to estimate prevalence of EW (BMI>1Z) by cohort and maturity stage. The results indicated that MP (25.1%) was higher in C2 than in C1 (28.7% vs 21.1%); that AgM was higher in C1 than in C2 (12.21 years vs 12.82 years) and that EW (30.3%) was greater in C2 than in C1 in both MA (18.4% vs 10.6%) and MP (19.6% vs 14.3%). In a context marked by a significant increase in excess weight, menarche exhibits a positive secular trend, both in prevalence and age of occurrence, showing a decrease of 7 months in the decade analyzed.