55
Views
9
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Age at menarche in Portuguese rural women from Oleiros

Pages 639-655 | Received 08 Jan 2008, Published online: 19 Nov 2008
 

Abstract

Background: Several aspects of living conditions and behaviour may influence the age at menarche.

Aim. The present study investigated the relation of variables concerning the reproductive period and the socio-economic conditions on the recalled age at menarche of rural Portuguese women, born in the first half of the 20th century.

Subjects and method: Recalled menarche age of a sample of 771 adult women over 44 years old, from a rural municipality (Oleiros) in central Portugal was analysed.

Results: The mean menarcheal age was 14.34±1.98 years. Menarcheal age increased significantly with the chronological age and age at marriage, and was negatively correlated with the duration of the period between menarche and marriage and with the biological reproductive span. The mean menarcheal age was lower (13.59±1.95 years) in women with an order of birth ≥7 than in those of birth order ≤3 (14.41±2.16 years). The mean menarcheal age was lower in women with a surname (14.26±1.91) than in those without it (14.81±2.28). Child labour began at the age of 11.87±32.72 years. Women subject to early child labour had delayed menarches (14.53±2.18) when compared with women who had not worked before 17 years old (14.03±1.91). The menarcheal age varied with the birth decade, decreasing from 14.64±2.61 (1910s) to 13.98±1.46 (1950s).

Conclusion: The variation of age at menarche was related to changes in family behaviour towards children, reduction of age at child labour and increasing access to schools. The secular decrease in menarcheal age from 1910 to 1980 was related to living condition factors such as illiteracy, female life expectancy and infant mortality rates.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.