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THE SECULAR TREND IN THE AGE OF MENARCHE IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLGIRLS
Author(s) -
HARPER JULIET,
COLLINS J. K.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1972.tb01785.x
Subject(s) - menarche , secular variation , medicine , demography , social class , endocrinology , sociology , political science , law
SYNOPSIS Statistics derived from a sample of 1391 schoolgirls drawn from both state and private schools showed the mean age of menarche to be 12.65 years. Selected schools were included to give a representative sample in terms of geographical and social class distribution. The onset of puberty was found to be normally distributed within the age range 9 years to 15 years 8 months. After an examination of the results of previous Australian studies, evidence was found which suggested a secular trend in the onset of puberty with fluctuations paralleling times of economic crisis.