Pasquet P, Biyong A M, Rikong-Adie H, Befidi-Mengue R, Garba M T, Froment A
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Anthropologie et Ecologie de l'Alimentation, Paris, France.
Ann Hum Biol. 1999 Jan-Feb;26(1):89-97. doi: 10.1080/030144699283001.
Status quo data on the age at menarche were obtained on samples of Cameroonian girls living in urban (Yaoundé) (n = 205), suburban (n = 505) and rural areas (n = 201). Mean ages at menarche, estimated by probit analysis, are 13.18 years (SD 1.08) in Yaoundé, 13.98 years (SD 1.55) in the suburban area, and 14.27 years (SD 1.65) in the rural area. The early menarcheal age observed in Yaoundé girls attending 'privileged schools' (12.72 years, SD 1.18) substantiates the hypothesis that in good environmental conditions Africans are as early-maturing as Asiatic or Mediterranean populations. Comparison with retrospective data on age at menarche during previous decades reveals the presence of a clear secular trend towards earlier maturation, at a rate of 2.5-3.2 months per decade, only in the main cities of the country (Yaoundé/Douala) and a lack of temporal variation in rural areas. The degree of urbanization influences maturational age and its evolution, probably through improvements in the nutritional standards.
针对喀麦隆城市（雅温得）（n = 205）、郊区（n = 505）和农村地区（n = 201）的女孩样本，获取了初潮年龄的现状数据。通过概率分析估计，雅温得的初潮平均年龄为13.18岁（标准差1.08），郊区为13.98岁（标准差1.55），农村地区为14.27岁（标准差1.65）。在就读于“特权学校”的雅温得女孩中观察到的初潮年龄较早（12.72岁，标准差1.18），证实了这样一种假设，即在良好的环境条件下，非洲人与亚洲或地中海人群一样早熟。与过去几十年初潮年龄的回顾性数据相比，结果显示，仅在该国主要城市（雅温得/杜阿拉）存在明显的长期早熟趋势，速度为每十年2.5 - 3.2个月，而农村地区则没有时间变化。城市化程度可能通过营养标准的改善影响成熟年龄及其演变。
