Menarcheal age decline among Indian womenand the potential risks

The age at menarche serves as a crucial biological marker for women and is also viewed as an indicator of a population's quality of life. Understanding the age at menarche is essential for assessing women's health and is valuable information for health policymakers. However, there is limited knowledge about the trends in menarcheal age in India. A recent study aimed to address this gap and investigated the age at menarche, its trends, and regional variations among Indian women.

This study employed a birth cohort approach, utilizing data from the 1st (1992–93), 4th (2015–16), and 5th (2019–21) rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used to present the distribution and mean age at menarche across different birth cohorts and covariate categories. Additionally, a multiple linear regression model was applied to analyze the trends in menarcheal age and to explore the association of various covariates with menarcheal age among Indian women.

The findings revealed that most women (66.2%) reached menarche between the ages of 13 and 14 years. Approximately 17.2% experienced an early menarche, while 16.7% had a late menarche. The average age at menarche among the sampled women was 13.49 years. The analysis also identified a secular declining trend in the age at menarche among Indian women, with significant variations in the mean age across different birth cohorts. 

Moreover, the study highlighted notable socio-economic differences in menarcheal age among women. A consistent decline in the age at menarche among Indian women––born between 1942 and 2006––was recorded. The youngest cohort reported the lowest mean age at menarche, and significant socio-economic patterns were evident. These secular changes in menarcheal age could have implications for women's lifetime exposure to endogenous hormones and potential risks of adverse health outcomes.

Source: Meher T, Sahoo H. Scientific Reports. 2024 Mar 5;14(1):5398.