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Age at Menarche and Nutritional Supplementation^1,2,

Awal D. Khan^*, Dirk G. Schroeder, Reynaldo Martorell^3, and Juan A. Rivera

^* Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6301 Department of International Health, The Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322 Centro de Investigaciones en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 62508 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México

Retrospective data on age at menarche were collected for 832 Guatemalans 15–30 y in age to test whether exposure to a high energy and high protein supplement (Atole: 163 kcals/682 kJ and 11.5 g protein per cup or 180 mL) during childhood led to earlier menarche than did exposure to a low energy, no protein supplement (Fresco: 59 kcals/247 kJ in 180 mL). Mean age at menarche was similar in Atole (13.75 ± 1.22 y; mean ± SD) and Fresco (13.74 ± 1.36 y) groups. The corresponding value for immigrants (n = 144), subjects not exposed to the supplements, was 13.55 ± 1.20 y. Year of birth as well as socioeconomic status (SES) were associated with age at menarche. Age at menarche declined by 0.69 y over the 15-y period and menarche occurred earlier in higher SES households. Significant positive interactions between supplement type and SES and between supplement type and year of birth were found, but plausible explanations for them could not be advanced.

KEY WORDS: • menarche • nutritional supplementation • secular change • Guatemala

¹ Published as a supplement to The Journal of Nutrition. Guest editors for this supplement publication were Reynaldo Martorell, The Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA and Nevin Scrimshaw, The United Nations University, Boston, MA.

² Supported by National Institute of Health grant HD 2244O and grants from the International Center for Research on Women (LIC-75/03) and the Thrasher Research Fund (#2805-5).

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed: Department of International Health, The Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30322.

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