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Trends and correlates of age at menarche in Colombia: Results from a nationally representative survey

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  • Jansen, Erica C.
  • Herrán, Oscar F.
  • Villamor, Eduardo

Abstract

Surveillance of age at menarche could provide useful information on the impact of changing environmental conditions on child health. Nevertheless, nationally representative data are exceedingly rare. The aim of this study was to examine trends and sociodemographic correlates of age at menarche of Colombian girls. The study sample included 15,441 girls born between 1992 and 2000 who participated in the Colombian National Nutrition Survey of 2010. We estimated median menarcheal age using Kaplan–Meier time-to-event analyses. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated with Cox regression models. The median age at menarche was 12.6 years. There was an estimated decline of 0.54 years/decade (P<0.001) over the birth years; this decline was only observed among girls from urban areas, and was more pronounced among girls from wealthier versus poorer families. Child height and BMI, maternal BMI and education, and family wealth were each inversely associated with menarcheal age whereas food insecurity and number of children in the household were positively associated with age at menarche. In conclusion, a negative trend in age at menarche is ongoing in Colombia, especially in groups most likely to benefit from socioeconomic development.

Suggested Citation

  • Jansen, Erica C. & Herrán, Oscar F. & Villamor, Eduardo, 2015. "Trends and correlates of age at menarche in Colombia: Results from a nationally representative survey," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 138-144.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:19:y:2015:i:c:p:138-144
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2015.09.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Acosta, Karina & Meisel, Adolfo, 2013. "Anthropometric measurements by ethnicity in Colombia, 1965–1990," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 416-425.
    2. Villamor, Eduardo & Chavarro, Jorge E. & Caro, Luis E., 2009. "Growing up under generalized violence: An ecological study of homicide rates and secular trends in age at menarche in Colombia, 1940s-1980s," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 238-245, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Meisel-Roca, Adolfo & Ramírez-Giraldo, María Teresa & Santos-Cárdenas, Daniela, 2019. "Long run relationship between biological well being, and economic development in Colombia," Working papers 24, Red Investigadores de Economía.
    2. Adolfo Meisel-Roca & María Teresa Ramírez-Giraldo & Daniel Lasso-Jaramillo, 2023. "Gender height dimorphism: An approximation of the living Standards in Colombia, 1920-1990," Investigaciones de Historia Económica - Economic History Research (IHE-EHR), Journal of the Spanish Economic History Association, Asociación Española de Historia Económica, vol. 19(02), pages 124-139.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Menarche; Puberty; Trends; Nationally representative survey; Colombia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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