Abstract :
Menarche, an important marker of puberty and a milestone in a girl’s reproductive life is studied in
this review. There are global as well as national studies reporting the overall factors contributing
to this important phenomenon. As we look at the overall determinants of age at menarche,
following factors are prominently reported: dietary intake, body composition, physical activity,
psychosocial stress, etc. Most of them share a relationship with each other and influence the
process of menarche. Studies show that higher intake of proteins and fats in the diet in peri
pubertal period results in earlier menarche. Higher body fat percentage which is an important
component of body composition and reduced physical activity may also have a contributory role in
an early onset of menarche. Girls growing up in homes without their biological fathers undergoing
a considerable amount of psychological stress tend to go through puberty earlier than their peers.
Thus various factors influencing the process of menarche display the complexity of it.
Determinants of age at menarche is extensively studied in developed countries whereas there are
less reported studies in India and thus there is a lot of scope for the researchers to further explore
this area.
Keyword :
Menarche, Diet, Body composition, Physical activity, Psychosocial.