سن اولین قاعدگی و ارتباط آن با وزن، قد، شاخص توده بدنی و وضعیت اقتصادی - اجتماعی در دختران مدارس راهنمایی

  Background & Objective : The aim of this study was of determine the age at menarche and it’s relation to body structure (weight, height and BMI) and socioeconomic status.  Materials & Methods: This is an analytic, descriptive (cross sectional) study that has been done on 236 female students of Secondary schools who had menstruated for the first time in the last two months before the performance of the study. The sampling was done randomly based on purpose of the study and the required information was gathered through some inquiries including demographic data from subjects and their parents and some characteristics of their first menstruation. The evaluation of weight, height and BMI also was done. The subjects were grouped in to three socioeconomic status and were evaluated.   Results: Findings indicates that age at menarche was 13.1±1.81 (years), the average height at that time was 153±5.66 (cm), the average weight was 44.62±8.06 (kg) and the BMI was 18.87±3.17 (kg/m2). In this study there was no meaningful relation between weight and BMI with the age at menarche but the relation between height and menarche was meaningful. This study also showed there was not significant difference between three socio-economic status and age at menarche, weight, height, BMI and some menstrual characteristics.  Conclusion: The menstrual age could be a good indicator of socio-economic development but as the social status differences decrease, the differences observed in monarchal age and body composition disappears. According to the results the physical characteristics are not good indicator for prediction of menarche.