Associations between maternal age at menarche and anthropometric and metabolic parameters in the adolescent offspring

• DOI: 10.1111/cen.13948
• Publication Date: 2019-02-10T07:34:50Z
• Authors: Ye Hong; Sarah E. Maessen; Guanping Dong; Ke Huang; Wei Wu; Li Liang; Chun Lin Wang; Xiaochun Chen; John D. Gibbins; Wayne S. Cutfield; José G.B. Derraik; JunFen Fu
• Keywords: Male; Menarche; Risk; 2. Zero hunger; China; Pediatric Obesity; Sex Characteristics; Waist-Height Ratio; Adolescent; Age Factors; Mothers; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Humans; Female; Waist Circumference; Child

SummaryObjectiveWe examined the associations between maternal age at menarche and anthropometry and metabolism in adolescent offspring.MethodsAnthropometric, metabolic and blood pressure data were obtained from 304 girls and 190 boys aged 11‐16 years attending school in Hangzhou (China). Age at menarche for both mothers and daughters was self‐reported. Fasting blood samples were obtained and all participants underwent clinical examinations. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥95th percentile for age and sex.ResultsOlder maternal age at menarche was associated with older age of their daughters at menarche (r = 0.21; P < 0.001). Mother's age at menarche was not associated with anthropometry or metabolism of daughters. However, younger maternal age at menarche was associated with increased hip and waist circumferences, and BMI SDS of their sons. Boys whose mothers were ≤13 years at menarche had an adjusted relative risk of obesity 3‐fold greater than sons of mothers with a later menarcheal onset (2.96; 95% CI 1.49, 5.87). Among daughters, every 1‐year increase in their age at menarche was associated with a 0.34 SDS reduction in BMI. Increasing age at menarche was also associated with reduced waist and hip circumferences (−1.5 and −1.8 cm/y, respectively) and waist‐to‐height ratio (−0.008 per year). Girls in the youngest menarcheal age tertile (8.8‐11.6 years) had diastolic blood pressure 2.2 mm Hg higher than other girls (P = 0.029).ConclusionsYounger maternal age at menarche is associated with increased obesity risk in their sons, but not daughters. However, girls who experience menarche earlier have a less favourable anthropometric profile.