Rural–urban variations in age at menarche, adult height, leg-length and abdominal adiposity in black South African women in transitioning South Africa
Background: The pre-pubertal socioeconomic environment may be an important determinant of age at menarche, adult height, body proportions and adiposity: traits closely linked to adolescent and adult health. Aims: This study explored differences in age at menarche, adult height, relative leg-length a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Annals of Human Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03014460.2018.1442497 |
| _version_ | 1827818396164554752 |
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| author | Rihlat Said-Mohamed Alessandra Prioreschi Lukhanyo H. Nyati Alastair van Heerden Richard J. Munthali Kathleen Kahn Stephen M. Tollman Francesc Xavier Gómez-Olivé Brian Houle David B. Dunger Shane A. Norris |
| author_facet | Rihlat Said-Mohamed Alessandra Prioreschi Lukhanyo H. Nyati Alastair van Heerden Richard J. Munthali Kathleen Kahn Stephen M. Tollman Francesc Xavier Gómez-Olivé Brian Houle David B. Dunger Shane A. Norris |
| author_sort | Rihlat Said-Mohamed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The pre-pubertal socioeconomic environment may be an important determinant of age at menarche, adult height, body proportions and adiposity: traits closely linked to adolescent and adult health. Aims: This study explored differences in age at menarche, adult height, relative leg-length and waist circumference between rural and urban black South African young adult women, who are at different stages of the nutrition and epidemiologic transitions. Subjects and methods: We compared 18–23 year-old black South African women, 482 urban-dwelling from Soweto and 509 from the rural Mpumalanga province. Age at menarche, obstetric history and household socio-demographic and economic information were recorded using interview-administered questionnaires. Height, sitting-height, hip and waist circumference were measured using standardised techniques. Results: Urban and rural black South African women differed in their age at menarche (at ages 12.7 and 14.5 years, respectively). In urban women, a one-year increase in age at menarche was associated with a 0.65 cm and 0.16% increase in height and relative leg-length ratio, respectively. In both settings, earlier age at menarche and shorter relative leg-length were independently associated with an increase in waist circumference. Conclusions: In black South African women, the earlier onset of puberty, and consequently an earlier growth cessation process, may lead to central fat mass accumulation in adulthood. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T00:47:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7894a7e137014076aed2edf3a4c9dbea |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0301-4460 1464-5033 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T00:47:08Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of Human Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7894a7e137014076aed2edf3a4c9dbea2023-09-14T15:36:09ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAnnals of Human Biology0301-44601464-50332018-02-0145212313210.1080/03014460.2018.14424971442497Rural–urban variations in age at menarche, adult height, leg-length and abdominal adiposity in black South African women in transitioning South AfricaRihlat Said-Mohamed0Alessandra Prioreschi1Lukhanyo H. Nyati2Alastair van Heerden3Richard J. Munthali4Kathleen Kahn5Stephen M. Tollman6Francesc Xavier Gómez-Olivé7Brian Houle8David B. Dunger9Shane A. Norris10School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of WitwatersrandSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of WitwatersrandSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of WitwatersrandSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of WitwatersrandSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of WitwatersrandSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the WitwatersrandSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the WitwatersrandSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the WitwatersrandSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the WitwatersrandSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of WitwatersrandSchool of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of WitwatersrandBackground: The pre-pubertal socioeconomic environment may be an important determinant of age at menarche, adult height, body proportions and adiposity: traits closely linked to adolescent and adult health. Aims: This study explored differences in age at menarche, adult height, relative leg-length and waist circumference between rural and urban black South African young adult women, who are at different stages of the nutrition and epidemiologic transitions. Subjects and methods: We compared 18–23 year-old black South African women, 482 urban-dwelling from Soweto and 509 from the rural Mpumalanga province. Age at menarche, obstetric history and household socio-demographic and economic information were recorded using interview-administered questionnaires. Height, sitting-height, hip and waist circumference were measured using standardised techniques. Results: Urban and rural black South African women differed in their age at menarche (at ages 12.7 and 14.5 years, respectively). In urban women, a one-year increase in age at menarche was associated with a 0.65 cm and 0.16% increase in height and relative leg-length ratio, respectively. In both settings, earlier age at menarche and shorter relative leg-length were independently associated with an increase in waist circumference. Conclusions: In black South African women, the earlier onset of puberty, and consequently an earlier growth cessation process, may lead to central fat mass accumulation in adulthood.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03014460.2018.1442497age at menarcheheightbody proportionsadipositynutrition transition |
| spellingShingle | Rihlat Said-Mohamed Alessandra Prioreschi Lukhanyo H. Nyati Alastair van Heerden Richard J. Munthali Kathleen Kahn Stephen M. Tollman Francesc Xavier Gómez-Olivé Brian Houle David B. Dunger Shane A. Norris Rural–urban variations in age at menarche, adult height, leg-length and abdominal adiposity in black South African women in transitioning South Africa Annals of Human Biology age at menarche height body proportions adiposity nutrition transition |
| title | Rural–urban variations in age at menarche, adult height, leg-length and abdominal adiposity in black South African women in transitioning South Africa |
| title_full | Rural–urban variations in age at menarche, adult height, leg-length and abdominal adiposity in black South African women in transitioning South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Rural–urban variations in age at menarche, adult height, leg-length and abdominal adiposity in black South African women in transitioning South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rural–urban variations in age at menarche, adult height, leg-length and abdominal adiposity in black South African women in transitioning South Africa |
| title_short | Rural–urban variations in age at menarche, adult height, leg-length and abdominal adiposity in black South African women in transitioning South Africa |
| title_sort | rural urban variations in age at menarche adult height leg length and abdominal adiposity in black south african women in transitioning south africa |
| topic | age at menarche height body proportions adiposity nutrition transition |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03014460.2018.1442497 |
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