北京市儿童青少年女性青春期性征发育流行病学研究

摘要 目的：了解北京市6~18岁学龄女生青春期第二性征发育现状,以及人群性早熟发生率。方法：利用2004年北京市儿童代谢综合征调查（BCAMS）总样本中9 778名6~18岁中小学女生的青春期发育数据，用概率单位回归法计算月经初潮、乳房、阴毛不同发育时期的中位年龄。8岁前乳房或阴毛发育达Tanner II 期（B2,P2），或10岁前月经初潮者被定义为性早熟。结果：9 778名6~18岁中小学女生中城市人口5 040人，占总样本51.5%。北京市学龄女生月经初潮年龄平均为 （12.1±1.1）岁，城市女生（11.9±1.1）岁，农村女生（12.5±1.1）岁；女性第二性征开始发育年龄（总体/城市/农村）分别为，乳房：（9.5±1.2）岁/（9.3±1.1）岁/(9.6±1.2）岁；阴毛:(11.1±1.1）岁/(10.8±1.1）岁/(11.4±1.1）岁。城市女生月经初潮、乳房和阴毛发育均显著早于农村女生。月经初潮早发生率为0.79%，城市高于农村（1.03%：0.55%；x2=6.93，P<0.01）；乳房、阴毛早发育率分别为2.91%和0.22%。1962~1982年期间，北京女生月经初潮年龄平均每10年提前0.7岁（8.4个月）；近10年平均提前0.43岁（5.2个月）。结论：北京市城区女生青春期第二性征发育明显早于郊区县女生。月经初潮年龄提前的长期变化趋势依然存在，但近10年这一趋势趋于减缓。     

Height velocity, body fat and menarcheal age of Indian girls

OBJECTIVE: To understand the onset of menarche in relation to changes in physical measurements that take place during adolescence, especially the changes in height velocity and changes in body fat. DESIGN: Adolescent girls in the 9-16 year age group were observed longitudinally every six months for a period of two years. SETTING: Girls from schools catering to urban high socio-economic class (HSE, n = 135) and those catering to low socio-economic class (LSE, n = 398) were evaluated. METHODS: Six monthly measurements of weight, height and triceps skinfold thickness (TSFT) were done. Menarcheal age was recorded by recall method for the girls who were menstruating at the beginning of the study and prospectively for girls whose onset was after the initiation of the study. Body fat (%) was estimated using weight, height and TSFT. RESULTS: The girls from LSE not only had lower attained weight, height, skinfold thickness at triceps and body fat but also had a significant difference (p < 0.05) in menarcheal age (15.4 yr) as compared to girls from HSE (12.1 yr). Although social class differences delayed the occurrence of the event by chronological age, the time between peak height velocity (PHV) and onset of menarche remained similar (1.5 yr) irrespective of social class. The mean weight at menarche, at group level (but not at individual level), was around 38 kg in both socio-economic classes, irrespective of age at onset. Further menarche represented the point of maximum deceleration in height velocity and maximum acceleration in body fat in both social classes. CONCLUSION: Our data indicated a partial support for critical weight hypothesis and suggested that these limits vary from community to community. The analysis revealed that rather than absolute values of weight, height and body fat, changes in these measurements are of significance with regard to onset of menarche.     

Age at menarche and place of residence (Marrakesh,Morocco)

Purpose

The aim of the study was to determine the age at menarche of Moroccan girls by place of residence (rural vs. urban).

THE SECULAR TREND IN THE AGE OF MENARCHE IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLGIRLS

Statistics derived from a sample of 1391 schoolgirls drawn from both state and private schools showed the mean age of menarche to be 12.65 years. Selected schools were included to give a representative sample in terms of geographical and social class distribution. The onset of puberty was found to be normally distributed within the age range 9 years to 15 years 8 months. After an examination of the results of previous Australian studies, evidence was found which suggested a secular trend in the onset of puberty with fluctuations paralleling times of economic crisis.     

Ovarian function after bone marrow transplantation performed before menarche

AIM—To examine the long term effect of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) on ovarian function in girls.
METHODS—Eighteen girls who underwent BMT before menarche, had been disease free for more than six years, and were over 14 years of age at the time of study were investigated. The preparative regimen consisted of irradiation and chemotherapy. The occurrence of menarche and changes in basal serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations were studied.
RESULTS—Twelve patients achieved menarche at a median age of 12.8 years. Age at transplant was significantly younger in patients who achieved menarche than in those who did not (mean (SD), 7.2 (0.5) v 11.1 (1.7) years). Basal FSH began to rise to menopausal concentrations after 10 years of age, and the girls who did not experience menarche had a sustained rise in FSH concentrations. Among those with raised FSH concentrations, five girls experienced menarche while serum FSH values were decreasing and four achieved menarche while FSH remained raised.
CONCLUSIONS—The high incidence of menarche suggests a favourable outcome of ovarian function in girls who undergo BMT at a young age.

     

Ponderal gain, waist-to-hip ratio, and pubertal development in girls with type-1 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVES: We assessed pubertal development, height, weight, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), an index of central adiposity during puberty, in girls with type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), compared to a contemporary control group. METHODS: Pubertal development, weight, height and WHR were studied in 100 pubertal girls with T1DM, and were compared to a control group of 576 normal girls (C), recruited from schools with a similar socioeconomic level and ethnicity. The age of onset of various pubertal stages was estimated by using probit analysis. RESULTS: Breast Tanner stage 2 (BT2) began at 8.89 +/- 0.11 and 9.10 +/- 0.28 yr in C and T1DM, respectively. A delay of 6 months was observed in T1DM for BT3 and BT4 (p < 0.05). Menarche occurred 6 months later in girls with T1DM (p = 0.03). WHR decreased during puberty in C (p < 0.001), but not in T1DM. In girls with T1DM, the body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) increased throughout puberty (p < 0.001), but it was stable in C. In T1DM girls, BMI-SDS, but not hemoglobin A1c levels (HbA1c), was a significant determinant of pubertal development. Final height was similar in T1DM and C. CONCLUSIONS: Pubertal development in girls with T1DM occurred earlier than described in historical cohorts, but a later onset of menarche and final stages of breast development were observed. The increase in BMI-SDS and the stability of WHR in girls with T1DM during puberty suggest that this period may be critical for determining later weight gain and body composition in adult women with this condition.     

Contrasting longitudinal and cross‐sectional relationships between insulin resistance and percentage of body fat,fitness, and physical activity in children—the LOOK study

Background: Knowledge of individual changes in insulin resistance (IR) and longitudinal relationships of IR with lifestyle‐associated factors are of important practical significance, but little longitudinal data exist in asymptomatic children. We aimed to determine (a) changes in the homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) over a 2‐yr period and (b) comparisons of longitudinal and cross‐sectional relationships between HOMA‐IR and lifestyle‐related risk factors. Methods: Our subjects, 241 boys and 257 girls, were assessed at age 8.1 yr (SD 0.35) and again 2 yr later for fasting blood glucose and insulin, dual X‐ray absorptiometry‐assessed percentage of body fat (%BF), pedometer‐assessed physical activity (PA), and cardio‐respiratory fitness (CRF) by multistage running test. Results: HOMA‐IR was initially 9% greater in girls than boys and 27% greater 2 yr later. There was no evidence of longitudinal relationships between HOMA‐IR and %BF in boys or girls, despite significant cross‐sectional relationships (p < 0.001). In boys, there was evidence of a longitudinal relationship between HOMA‐IR and both PA (p < 0.001) and CRF (p = 0.05). In girls, we found a cross‐sectional relationship between HOMA‐IR and CRF (p < 0.001). Conclusions: HOMA‐IR increases between 8 and 10 yr of age and to a greater extent in girls. Longitudinal, unlike cross‐sectional, relationships do not support the premise that body fat has any impact on HOMA‐IR during this period or that PA or CRF changes affect HOMA‐IR in girls. These data draw attention to difficulties in interpreting observational studies in young children.     

Menstrual pattern and menstrual disorders among adolescents: an update of the Italian data

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The most striking event in the whole process of female puberty is the onset of menstruation. To our knowledge, no large population-based studies have been performed on the topic of menstrual health among Italian adolescents in recent years. The aims of this study were to produce up-to-date information on the menstrual patterns of Italian girls secondary school, and to estimate the prevalence of menstrual cycle abnormalities in this population. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study on a population-based sample of Italian adolescents aged 13-21 years attending secondary school. Only girls who had already started menstruating were requested to participate. Information was collected by means of a questionnaire that included items on the girls' demographic details, anthropometrics, smoking and drinking habits, use of contraceptive pills, and socioeconomic status. The questions on the girls' menstrual pattern concerned their age at menarche, duration of the most recent menstruation intervals (<21, 21-35, >35 days, variable), average days of bleeding (<4, 4-6, >6 days), and any menstrual problems and their frequency. RESULTS: A total of 6,924 questionnaires were administered and 4,992 (71%) were returned. One hundred girls failed to report their date of birth, so 4,892 subjects were analyzed. The girls' mean age was 17.1 years (SD +/-1.4); their mean age at menarche was 12.4 (+/-1.3) years, median 12.4 years (95%CI 12.3-12.5). In our sample population, 3.0% (95%CI 2.5%-3.4%) of the girls had menstruation intervals of less than 21 days, while it was more than 35 days in 3.4% (95%CI 2.9%-3.9%). About 9% of the girls (95%CI 7.7%-9.4%) said the length of their menstruation interval was currently irregular. Short bleeding periods (<4 days) were reported in 3.2% of the sample population (95%CI 2.7%-3.7%), long periods (>6 days) in 19% (95%CI 17.9%-20.1%). Menstruationrelated abdominal pain was reported by about 56% of our sample. About 6.2% of the girls (95%CI 5.4%-7.0%) were suffering from dysmenorrhea. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, this is one of the largest studies on menstrual patterns and menstrual disorders among Italian adolescent girls. Adolescent girls referring persistent oligomenorrhoea, in first two years from menarche, had a higher risk for developing a persistent menstrual irregularity. They had longer bleeding periods (>6 days) and this has practical implications because it makes these adolescents potentially more susceptible to iron deficiency anemia. Clinicians need to identify menstrual abnormalities as early as possible in order to minimize their possible consequences and sequelae, and to promote proper health information. We recommend that adolescents should be encouraged to chart their menstrual frequency and regularity prospectively from the menarche onwards.     

EVENTS OF PUBERTY IN 186 TASMANIAN SCHOOLGIRLS

This paper presents data on the physical effects of puberty in a group of Tasmanian schoolgirls. The mean age at menarche in 181 girls was 12.86 years. In the majority, the menarche occurred just before the attainment of maximum height and full sexual maturity as judged by breast development and pubic hair growth. A proportion of the girls (19 per cent) reported menstrual symptoms such as abdominal pain and irregularity.     

Declining age of puberty of school girls in southern Thailand

Background

Declines in the onset age of secondary sexual development have been reported in a number of recent studies in western and Asian countries. A study of Hat-Yai school girls in 1994 in Thailand showed that the ages at thelarche and menarche were 9.9 and 12.4 years, respectively. This study was to determine whether there was a decline in the average age of puberty in Hat-Yai school girls from 1994 to 2012.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2140 healthy Hat-Yai school girls, aged 6–18 years, from June 2011 to March 2012. Breast and pubic hair development was assessed by the Tanner staging method. Probit analysis was used to calculate the median ages of different stages of breast and pubic hair development, and the age of menarche.

Results

The median ages of girls having thelarche and menarche were 9.6 (95% CI, 9.4–9.8) and 12.2 (95% CI, 11.9–12.4) years, which declined from 9.9 (95% CI, 9.7–10.1) and 12.4 years (95% CI, 12.2–12.6) in the 1994 study respectively, however, without statistical significance. The youngest ages of girls who had breast stage 2 and menarche were 7.2 and 9.2 years, respectively. The final height at age 14 years in this cohort (157.3 cm) was 2.3 cm greater than that of girls in 1994 (155.0 cm).

Conclusions

From 1994 to 2012, the age at onset of thelarche and menarche of girls in Hat-Yai municipality declined by 0.2 and 0.3 years, respectively. The earlier age at onset of puberty had no effect on final adult height.     

Maturational tempo differences in relation to the timing of the onset of puberty in girls

AIM: To determine maturational tempo differences related to the timing of pubertal onset in girls. METHODS: We studied longitudinally 307 prepubertal Greek schoolgirls. Age at onset of puberty (B2), peak height velocity (PHV) and age at menarche were recorded. Age at onset of puberty quartiles were determined in order to define girls as early maturers (<9.2 years) and late maturers (>10.6 years). Due to dropout from the study, results for menarche are reported for 182 girls. RESULTS: Median (1st-3rd quartile) time span from B2 to PHV was longer for early maturers than for average and late maturers, 1.6 (1.0-2.2) years, 1.1 (0.7-1.7) years and 0.9 (0.3-1.1) years, respectively, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in PHV, in the time interval from PHV to menarche and in adult height (for 75 girls) with respect to whether girls matured early, average or late. CONCLUSION: A compensatory delay in the maturational tempo in early-maturing girls and a catch-up mechanism in late-maturing girls was shown. The maturational differences manifest as differences in the time span from the onset of puberty to PHV. Early pubertal maturation in girls does not compromise adult height and is not always followed by early menarche.     

Ovarian function after bone marrow transplantation performed before menarche.

AIM: To examine the long term effect of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) on ovarian function in girls. METHODS: Eighteen girls who underwent BMT before menarche, had been disease free for more than six years, and were over 14 years of age at the time of study were investigated. The preparative regimen consisted of irradiation and chemotherapy. The occurrence of menarche and changes in basal serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations were studied. RESULTS: Twelve patients achieved menarche at a median age of 12.8 years. Age at transplant was significantly younger in patients who achieved menarche than in those who did not (mean (SD), 7.2 (0.5) v 11.1 (1.7) years). Basal FSH began to rise to menopausal concentrations after 10 years of age, and the girls who did not experience menarche had a sustained rise in FSH concentrations. Among those with raised FSH concentrations, five girls experienced menarche while serum FSH values were decreasing and four achieved menarche while FSH remained raised. CONCLUSIONS: The high incidence of menarche suggests a favourable outcome of ovarian function in girls who undergo BMT at a young age.     

Pubertal Characteristics in Girls of Qazvin Province,Iran

Objective

Puberty is a critical time between childhood and adulthood. Many studies have reported that the mean age of breast development is decreasing. The aim of this study was to provide updated data on the pubertal development of girls and to evaluate precocious puberty in our population.

Methods

This cross sectional study was conducted in 6 to 16 year old school girls during 2009-2010 in Qazvin. 2240 healthy girls from all geographical regions with every socioeconomic status were selected by a stratified multistage cluster design to obtain representative sample of population. A questionnaire including demographic data, anthropometric measurements, secondary sexual characteristics, menarche status and its onset was filled out for every participant. Secondary sexual characteristics including breast development (B_1–5) and pubic hair (PH_1–5) were evaluated according to Marshal and Tanner recommendation.

Findings

The mean±SD of height, weight, and BMI of participants was 139.7±14.5, 36.1±12.9 and 17.9±3.7 respectively. The mean age (10th – 90th percentile) of B₂ and PH₂ were 9.71(7.67–11.4) and 9.82 years (7.84–11.42) respectively. Mean age of menstruation was 12.52 years. The mean BMI was significantly higher in pubertal females comparing to prepubertal girls (P<0.001). Average duration of puberty (the time from initiation of puberty to menarche) was 2.81 years.

Conclusion

The mean age of pubertal onset in girls living in Qazvin is 9.71 years. Menarche occurs at mean age of 12.52 and onset of puberty earlier than 6.24 years will be precocious. We found that girls in Qazvin had a slightly earlier age of initiation of puberty and of menarche in comparison with other studies in Iran.     

Somatic puberty development in girls

In 142 Swiss girls of the First Zurich Longitudinal Study. The somatic pubertal development between 9 and 18 years is described. The mean chronological age at the onset of the pubertal growth spurt was 9.6 years (standard deviation 1.2 years). The peak of the pubertal growth spurt (peak height velocity: PHV) was reached at a mean age of 12.2 years (SD 1.0). The development of pubic hair started at a mean age of 10.4 years (SD 1.2), breast development at 10.9 years (SD 1.2) and the development of axillary hair at 12.0 years (SD 1.1). Menarche occurred 2.7 years (SA 1.1) after the initiation of pubic hair development and 2.2 years (SD 1.1) after the breast development had started. Menarche was noted at a mean age of 13.4 years (SA 1.1). At menarche the mean height was 156.9 cm (SD 6.3), the mean weight 45.5 kg (SD 6.8) and the mean bone age (according to Greulich and Pyle) 12.6 years (SD 0.8). With the onset of menarche 95.3% (SD 1.7) of adult height were reached; the corresponding remaining height gain was 7.8 cm (SD 2.8). Acne was observed in 81% and striae in 41% of the girls by 18 years.     

Randomised trial of LHRH analogue treatment on final height in girls with onset of puberty aged 7.5-8.5 years

OBJECTIVE—To study the effectiveness of luteinising hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogues in improving final height in girls affected by early puberty.PATIENTS—Forty six consecutive girls with onset of puberty aged 7.5-8.5 years randomly divided into two groups: one treated with 3.75 mg triptorelin intramuscularly every four weeks (group 1); and the other with no treatment (group 2).RESULTS—Mean (SD) chronological age at onset of menarche was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (11.9 (1.0) v 10.8 (0.7) years). However, mean (SD) height at menarche (152.7 (7.2) v 152.5(5.7) cm) and mean (SD) growth after menarche (4.9 (3.0) v 5.4(2.2) cm) were similar in both groups. The mean (SD) final height was similar in the two groups (group 1, 158.1 (6.2) cm; group 2, 158.6 (6.0) cm) and not significantly different from target height. Fourteen of 20 patients in group 1 and 12 of 18 patients in group 2 showed final height equal to or higher than target height. Final heights of girls with poor initial height prognosis were significantly lower than those of girls with good prognosis, but in patients with the same initial height prognosis, both groups showed final heights similar and not significantly different from their target heights.CONCLUSIONS—LHRH analogue has no apparent effect on final height in subjects with onset of puberty between 7.5 and 8.5years.     

Do all girls with apparent idiopathic precocious puberty require gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prospectively pubertal and predicted adult height progression until final height (FH) or near FH in girls with apparent idiopathic precocious puberty who were not treated. STUDY DESIGN: The decision not to treat at the time of initial evaluation was based on evidence of slowly progressive puberty as shown by bone age (BA) advancement <2 years above the chronologic age, whatever the hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis activation, or no evidence of hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis activation, whatever the BA advancement. During follow-up, patients who showed a significant decrease in predicted FH were treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. RESULTS: Twenty-six girls with idiopathic precocious puberty were studied at a mean chronologic age of 7.4 +/- 0.9 years during a follow-up period of 6.6 +/- 2.2 years until FH or near FH. During the first 2 years of follow-up, most of the patients (group 1, n = 17; 65% of the cases) showed no substantial changes in predicted FH. They never required treatment, and menarche occurred at a mean chronologic age of 11.9 +/- 0.6 years. Their mean FH (or near FH) at 160.7 +/- 5.7 cm was close to their target height (161.3 +/- 4.7 cm). On the other hand, after a mean follow-up period of 1.4 +/- 0.8 years, 9 patients (group 2) had acceleration of bone maturation and deterioration of their predicted FH (from 162.1 +/- 6. 2 cm to 155.3 +/- 5.6 cm; P <.01), which was at that time significantly lower than their target height (P <.05) (mean target height = 159.8 +/- 4.6 cm). They received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist for 2.1 +/- 0.7 years, resulting in a restoration of growth prognosis (mean FH or near FH = 160.2 +/- 6.7 cm). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that not all patients with apparent idiopathic precocious puberty require medical treatment, notably when there is no evidence of hypothalamo-pituitary ovarian activation or no significantly advanced BA to impair height potential. Most show a slowly progressing puberty. However, careful follow-up of these patients is necessary up to at least 9 years of age, because until then height prediction may deteriorate, necessitating gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment in one third of the cases.     

Age at menarche in contemporary Greek girls: evidence for levelling-off of the secular trend

AIM: To examine the secular trend of menarcheal age in Greek girls during the last decade. METHODS: Seven hundred and fifty senior high schoolgirls were asked through a questionnaire to report their date of menarche, participation in physical activities and their weight status at menarche. The data were compared with those of a study of 1996. RESULTS: Mean age at menarche (+/-SD) in 2006 was 12.29 (1.19) and in 1996 it was 12.27 (1.13) years, p = 0.73. Maternal menarcheal age was 13.02 (1.32). There was a significant correlation between age at menarche of the schoolgirls and their mothers, p < 0.0001. There was a significant difference in the age at menarche according to the schoolgirls' perceived weight status. Menarcheal age of obese girls (n = 56) was 11.73 (1.21) years, of normal weight girls (n = 474) was 12.29 (1.21) years and of lean girls (n = 220) was 12.42 (1.14) years, p < 0.001. There was no significant difference in the age at menarche between the girls that participated, 12.23 (1.19), and those that did not participate in sporting activities, 12.32 (1.19), p = 0.31. CONCLUSION: Levelling-off of the age at menarche over the last 10 years occurred in Greek girls living in Athens. Menarcheal age is influenced by the weight status and maternal menarcheal age.     

Assessment of pubertal development in Egyptian girls

Puberty is a significant event of human growth and maturation associated with marked physiological and psychological changes. The aim of this study was to assess normal pubertal development in Egyptian girls to define normal, precocious and delayed puberty. The present study included a cross-sectional sample of 1,550 normal Egyptian girls of high and middle socioeconomic class living in Cairo. Their ages ranged from 6.5 to 18.5 years. Pubertal assessment was made according to Tanner staging. The mean menarcheal age (MMA) was estimated using probit analysis. Weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The mean age at breast bud stage (B2) was 10.71+/-1.6, pubic hair stage (PH2) was 10.46+/-1.36, while axillary hair stage (A2) was 11.65+/-1.62 and MMA was 12.44 years. The mean age at attainment of puberty was compared with those of other Egyptian studies and other populations. Girls of the present study started pubertal development and achieved menarche earlier than those of previous Egyptian studies confirming a secular trend. Differences between the present study and other worldwide studies can be attributed to various genetic, racial, geographical, nutritional, and secular trend factors.     

Does handedness and altitude affect age at menarche?

Although there is knowledge about earlier mean age at menopause among left-handed postmenopausal women, it is unclear from the literature whether age of menarche is influenced by the prenatal hormonal pattern and cerebral lateralization. We therefore planned to investigate the relation between age of menarche and cerebral lateralization in girls at an altitude of nearly 2000 m. Sixty-two girls, aged between 9.4 and 15.5 years, were interviewed by questionnaire about manual dominance and menarcheal age. All girls were divided into two groups: left-handers (n = 31) and right-handers (n = 31). It was shown that there was a significantly lower average age of menarcheal appearance (12.96 +/- 1.34 years) in the left-handers' compared with the right-handers' (13.72 +/- 1.41 years; p = 0.025). The earliest menarcheal age was 9.4 years in left-handers and 10.1 years in right-handers.A menarcheal age of 13.34 +/- 1.35 years was found for the whole group at an altitude of nearly 2000 m. This data leads us to believe the existence of a link between functional brain asymmetry and menarche. It would appear that the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is earlier in left-handed females than in right-handed females.     

Menarcheal age among urban Kenyan primary school girls

Aim: To determine the mean menarcheal age among urban primary school girls in Kenya. Subjects and methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to 820 primary grade 6–8 girls aged between 12 and 17 years in five public primary schools, Langata division of Nairobi West district, Nairobi Kenya. The girls came from low and middle socioeconomic status residences. Declared menarcheal age by recall to the nearest month was recorded. Data were analysed using SPSS version 15.0 for windows. The results are presented using tables and bar charts. Results: The mean menarcheal age was 12.5 ± 2.8 years with peak at 12–14 years. A substantial number of girls (10.8%) attained menarche before the age of 11 years, with 2% of them attaining it before 10 years. None attained menarche before nine or after 16 years. Of those who attained early menarche, 64.3% were from middle while only 35.7% came from low socioeconomic status residence, respectively. Conclusion: Mean menarcheal age of 12.5 years is lower than previously reported with over 10% of the girls attaining menarche by 11 years. Early commencement of reproductive health education and follow‐up for complications of early menarche is recommended.