Background: Adolescence is a transition period in life from a dependent child to an independently functioning adult. Menarche is an important event occurring in girls during this period. Many factors are contributing to these changes, mainly improvement in nutritional and socioeconomic statuses, especially in developing countries such as India, and have many social, medical, and medicolegal implications.
Objective: To find out age at menarche and its relation with nutritional status and socioeconomic status among adolescent school girls.
Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was carried out among 350 adolescent school girls of the age group 916 years in Thiruvananthapuram, a well-populated city in Kerala, India. Stratified random sampling technique was used to give due representation to schools controlled by government, aided, and private sectors. Data were entered in Epi info statistical package and analysis done using Epi info and SPSS statistical packages and Microsoft excel work sheet.
Results: The mean age at menarche was 12.1 ± 1.19 years, which was less than that observed in studies conducted in various parts of world and India, which also showed a statistically significant association with body mass index and socioeconomic status.
Conclusion: Fall in the age of menarche has made young girls more vulnerable to the potential hazards of sexual abuse, unprotected sexual activity, earlier unintended pregnancy, illegal abortions, and sexually transmitted diseases. Parents, family, and the community at large also can play a vital role in the appropriate development of adolescents.
Key words: Age at menarche, nutritional and socioeconomic statuses, adolescent girls, Thiruvananthapuram city
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