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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on September 30, 2005
Human Reproduction 2006 21(3):833-836; doi:10.1093/humrep/dei271
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org

Age at menarche and its influencing factors in North Korean female refugees

Seung-Yup Ku1,2, Jong Won Kang3, Heon Kim3, Yong Dae Kim3, Byung Chul Jee1, Chang Suk Suh1,2, Young Min Choi1,2, Jung Gu Kim1, Shin Yong Moon1,2 and Seok Hyun Kim1,2,4

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-744, 2 Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Population, Medical Research Centre, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, 3 Department of Preventive Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk 361-763, Republic of Korea

4 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: seokhyun{at}plaza.snu.ac.kr

BACKGROUND: Age at menarche is known to be regulated by genetic and environmental factors. To date, no menarcheal data are available on North Korean women. In this cross-sectional survey, we investigated age at menarche and its possible influencing factors in North Korean refugees. METHODS: Four hundred and eleven North Korean refugees were surveyed at a North Korean female refugee camp using a structured questionnaire within 3 months of immigration. Menarcheal age was requested and the data obtained were analysed with respect to age at interview, region of residence in North Korea, education, food preference and sleep duration. RESULTS: Mean age at menarche was 16.0 ± 2.1 years (mean ± SD). Univariate analysis demonstrated a significant difference in the menarcheal age among the different food preference groups (P = 0.0236). Sleep duration was found to be significantly and negatively correlated with age at menarche (R = –0.23, P < 0.0001). However, generalized linear model (GLM) analysis revealed that region of residence at menarche (P = 0.0209) and sleep duration (P = 0.0007) were significant determinants. Food preference played a role as an effect modifier in the relationship between the region of residence at menarche and age at menarche. CONCLUSION: Age at menarche seemed to be delayed in North Korean refugees. GLM analysis showed that sleep duration and region of residence at menarche were significant influencing factors of age at menarche in this study population.

Key words: age at menarche/influencing factors/North Korean refugees


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