Characteristics of the Menstrual Cycle in 13-Year-Old Flemish Girls & The Impact of Menstrual Symptoms on Social Life

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of symptoms related to the menstrual cycle and their impact on social activities in young teenage girls. Between March and June 2009, all girls born in 1996 who were residents of eight regions in Flanders (Belgium) received a semi-structured questionnaire, including questions about the age of menarche, characteristics of the menstrual cycle, and its impact on social activities. 

Participants were 792 13-year-old girls (15.7 % of the target population). Out of 363 (47.2 % of participants) postmenarcheal girls, 41.6 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 36.4-47.0 %) reported painful menstruations. 

The proportion of girls with painful menstrual periods decreased approximately 16 % with each year the age at menarche increased (relative risk (RR) = 0.84; 0.73-0.98; p < 0.05) and was positively correlated with the amount of blood loss (RR = 0.33; 0.16-0.67; p < 0.05 when little and 1.85; 1.49-2.31; p < 0.001 when abundant, compared to average). 

One in four (25.4 %) postmenarcheal girls indicated a negative impact of menstruation on social activities, but this proportion was significantly higher in girls who experienced menstruation as painful (41.3 %) compared to those who did not (14.2 %).

CONCLUSION:

Early menstrual complaints are common in young adolescent girls and the likelihood of pain increased significantly with lower menarcheal age. 

What is Known? 

• Menstrual cycle-related symptoms may negatively interfere with school absence and social activities. 
• Early menarche and severe dysmenorrhea are correlated with endometriosis. 

What is New? 

• In this large population-based study on the characteristics of the menstrual cycle in young teenage girls at or shortly after menarche, painful menstruation was highly prevalent (41.7 %), but related school absenteeism was low (3.2 %). The likelihood of pain increased significantly with lower menarcheal age.
• The findings support the need for a systematic evaluation of the characteristics of the menstrual cycle shortly after menarche.

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By:   Hoppenbrouwers K1, Roelants M2, Meuleman C3, Rijkers A4, Van Leeuwen K5, Desoete A6, D'Hooghe T7.

• 1Centre of Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, block d, 7001, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. karel.hoppenbrouwers@med.kuleuven.be.
• 2Centre of Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, block d, 7001, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. mathieu.roelants@med.kuleuven.be.
• 3University Fertility Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. christel.meuleman@uzleuven.be.
• 4University Fertility Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. lian.rijkers@uzleuven.be.
• 5Parenting and Special Education Research Group, University Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. karla.vanleeuwen@ppw.kuleuven.be.
• 6Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, University Ghent, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. annemie.desoete@ugent.be.
• 7University Fertility Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. thomas.dhooghe@uzleuven.be. 

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The Effect of Early Menarche on the Sexual Behaviors of Korean Female Adolescents

This study examined the relationships between early menarche and sexual behaviors among Korean female adolescents.

We analyzed data from the eighth Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based survey that was conducted on female high school students in grades 10-12. The survey included 17,867 students, and 974 students were assigned to the early menarche group because they had experienced menarche when they were in grade four or below, and 16,893 students were assigned to the normal menarche group because they had experienced menarche during or after grade five. The characteristics of the sexual behaviors in the early menarche and normal menarche group were analyzed.

The early menarche group was at a higher risk of intersexual kissing or petting, intersexual intercourse, homosexual kissing or petting, homosexual intercourse, being the victim or the assailant of sexual assaults, intercourse without any contraception, and pregnancy than the normal menarche group.

Early menarche is associated with risky sexual behaviors among adolescent females; therefore, developing comprehensive sexual health education programs and tools for early intervention are required for children who are expected to experience early menarche.

Table 2

The effect of early menarche on the sexual behaviors from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based survey (2012)

Values are presented as number (%).

OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.

a)Odds ratio (adjusted for sociodemographic variables of paternal educational level, maternal educational level, living with both parents, academic performance and household income) for early menarche group for event compared with normal menarche group.

Full article at: http://goo.gl/emmQQb

By: Ji In Cheong, MD,1 Chang Hun Lee, MD,2 Jae Hong Park, MD, PhD,2 Byeong Jin Ye, MD, PhD,3 Kyoung Ah Kwon, MD,1 Young Seok Lee, MD, PhD,1 and Jae Ho Yoo, MD1

¹Department of Pediatrics, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.

²Department of Psychiatry, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.

³Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.

Corresponding author.

Address for correspondence: Jae Ho Yoo, MD. Department of Pediatrics, Dong-A University Hospital, Dong-A University College of Medicine, 26 Daesingongwon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 49201, Korea. Tel: +82-51-240-2883, Fax: +82-51-242-2765, Email: rk.ca.uad@odnedep

   

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