Secular Trend of the Age at Menarche of Japanese Girls with Special Regard to the Secular Acceleration of the Age at Peak Height Velocity

Document Type

Article

Authors

Hiroshi Hoshi, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Makiko Kouchi, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract

The age at menarche of 284 school girls born and raised in urban districts was investigated. The arithmetic mean was 12.40 years and the range was from 9.63 to 15.44 years. Mean menarchial ages reported in Japan from 1884 to 1980 were gathered and the course of the secular change during the last 100 years was examined using regression techniques. The decrease in age was slow and constant before the war, but fast at first and then slow after the war. The secular changes in peak height velocity were shown to be similar to those of menarche.

Recommended Citation

Hoshi, Hiroshi and Kouchi, Makiko (1981) "Secular Trend of the Age at Menarche of Japanese Girls with Special Regard to the Secular Acceleration of the Age at Peak Height Velocity," Human Biology: Vol. 53: Iss. 4, Article 10.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol53/iss4/10