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Cancer Causes & Control
Published in: Cancer Causes & Control 9/2010

01-09-2010 | Original paper

Birth characteristics and age at menarche: results from the dietary intervention study in children (DISC)

Authors: Elizabeth H. Ruder, Terryl J. Hartman, Michael J. Rovine, Joanne F. Dorgan

Published in: Cancer Causes & Control | Issue 9/2010

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Abstract

Objective

To examine whether birth weight, birth length, and gestational age are individually associated with age at menarche.

Methods

Analyses were conducted using data from n = 278 female participants in the Dietary Intervention Study in Children (DISC). Age at menarche was prospectively collected as part of the original DISC investigation. DISC participants self-reported birth weight, birth length, and gestational age with assistance from their mothers and other records as part of the DISC06 Follow-up Study at ages 25–29. Linear regression was used to estimate the association of birth characteristics and age at menarche.

Results

Birth weight was positively associated with age at menarche (p ≤ 0.01) in multiple regression analyses after controlling for BMI-for-age percentile, race and DISC treatment group. No statistically significant relationships were detected between either length or gestational age and age at menarche.

Conclusions

Higher birth weight may be associated with a modest delay in age at menarche.
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Metadata
Title
Birth characteristics and age at menarche: results from the dietary intervention study in children (DISC)
Authors
Elizabeth H. Ruder
Terryl J. Hartman
Michael J. Rovine
Joanne F. Dorgan
Publication date
01-09-2010
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Cancer Causes & Control / Issue 9/2010
Print ISSN: 0957-5243
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7225
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9565-y

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