Vincenzo De Sanctis1, Franco Rigon2, Sergio Bernasconi3, Luigi Bianchin4, Gianni Bona5, Mauro Bozzola6, Fabio Buzi7, Carlo De Sanctis8, Giorgio Tonini9, Giorgio Radetti10, Egle Perissinotto11. 1. Private Accredited Hospital Quisisana, Pediatric and Adolescent Outpatients Clinic, Ferrara, Italy. 2. Department of Women's and Child Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. 3. Department of Pediatrics, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. 4. Child Psychiatric Unit, Local Health and Social Care Services - ULSS 6 Euganea, Padua, Italy. 5. Division of Pediatrics, Department of Mother and Child Health, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy. 6. Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, Section of Childhood and Adolescence, Foundation IRCCS San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. 7. Department of Pediatrics, "Carlo Poma" Hospital, Mantova, Italy. 8. Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Ospedale Infantile Regina Margherita, Turin, Italy. 9. University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. 10. Department of Pediatrics, Regional Hospital of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy. 11. Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Science and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. egle.perissinotto@unipd.it.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the independent role of age at menarche on menstrual abnormalities among adolescents. METHODS: The present study was a multicenter cross-sectional study on a large sample (n = 3782) of Italian girls aged 13-21 y attending secondary school who already had menarche. Girls were asked to fill in a questionnaire on menarcheal age and menstrual features during the latest three menses. The gynecological age was computed as the difference between age at the survey and the age at menarche. Main outcome measures were: prevalence of oligomenorrhea, polymenorrhea, menstrual cycle irregularity, abnormal bleeding length and dysmenorrhea. Irregularity in the recent past and since menarche was also studied. Multiple logistic models were used to identify any independent association between each abnormal feature and age at menarche or gynecological age. Adjusted ORs and 95%CI were performed. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, menarcheal age was not independently associated with polymenorrhea (OR = 0.81; 95%CI 0.63-1.04), oligomenorrhea (OR = 1.16; 95%CI 0.94-1.43), menstrual cycle irregularity (OR = 0.99; 95%CI 0.86-1.14), abnormal bleeding length (OR = 0.96; 95%CI 0.87-1.06) and dysmenorrhea (OR = 1.03; 95%CI 0.85-1.24). The multivariate analysis suggests that the higher prevalence of oligomenorrhea and menstrual cycle irregularity among the girls who were older at menarche might be purely explained by their younger gynecological age. CONCLUSIONS: No evidence of any independent influence of age at menarche on menstrual abnormalities among young girls was shown by the investigation. The findings suggest that, after menarche, adolescent girls' menstrual health should be checked to monitor the endocrine system maturation and to early intercept latent disorders becoming symptomatic.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the independent role of age at menarche on menstrual abnormalities among adolescents. METHODS: The present study was a multicenter cross-sectional study on a large sample (n = 3782) of Italian girls aged 13-21 y attending secondary school who already had menarche. Girls were asked to fill in a questionnaire on menarcheal age and menstrual features during the latest three menses. The gynecological age was computed as the difference between age at the survey and the age at menarche. Main outcome measures were: prevalence of oligomenorrhea, polymenorrhea, menstrual cycle irregularity, abnormal bleeding length and dysmenorrhea. Irregularity in the recent past and since menarche was also studied. Multiple logistic models were used to identify any independent association between each abnormal feature and age at menarche or gynecological age. Adjusted ORs and 95%CI were performed. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, menarcheal age was not independently associated with polymenorrhea (OR = 0.81; 95%CI 0.63-1.04), oligomenorrhea (OR = 1.16; 95%CI 0.94-1.43), menstrual cycle irregularity (OR = 0.99; 95%CI 0.86-1.14), abnormal bleeding length (OR = 0.96; 95%CI 0.87-1.06) and dysmenorrhea (OR = 1.03; 95%CI 0.85-1.24). The multivariate analysis suggests that the higher prevalence of oligomenorrhea and menstrual cycle irregularity among the girls who were older at menarche might be purely explained by their younger gynecological age. CONCLUSIONS: No evidence of any independent influence of age at menarche on menstrual abnormalities among young girls was shown by the investigation. The findings suggest that, after menarche, adolescent girls' menstrual health should be checked to monitor the endocrine system maturation and to early intercept latent disorders becoming symptomatic.
Entities:
Keywords:
Age at menarche; Dysmenorrheal; Gynecological age; Menstrual irregularity; Menstrual pattern; Schoolgirls
Authors: Chidebe C Anikwe; Johnbosco E Mamah; Bartholomew C Okorochukwu; Ugochukwu U Nnadozie; Chukwuemeka H Obarezi; Kenneth C Ekwedigwe Journal: Heliyon Date: 2020-05-26