[Menarche in Bulgarian--secular trend in twenty century].

UNLABELLED

The aim of the study was to determine the time of menarche in Bulgarian girls and specify the changes in menarcheal age during 20 century.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We examined in a longitudinal study 93 girls from 3 schools in Sofia in the period from 1994-2000.

RESULTS

Mean age of menarche in girls was 11.96 + 0.75 years, (x + SD), median 12, 00 years. At the age of eleven 41.9% of the investigated girls have already had menarche and at the age of 10--4.3%. By the completion of the 12 years 90.3% were with menarche and at 14 years of age--100%. In a study in Bulgaria, done by the beginning of 20 century (1904-1906), the mean age of menarche was 15.0 + 3.32 years, 3 years later than it was found by us at the end of the century.

CONCLUSION

We observed a secular trend of earlier time of menarche in Bulgarian girls during 20th century.