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Variability in Hormone Concentrations and Self-Reported Menstrual Histories in Young Adolescents: Menarche as an Integral Part of a Developmental Process

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Abstract

Menarche has been considered a marker for examining interindividual differences in biobehavioral development and for separating pubertal development into 2 stages. The purpose of this study was (1) to compare hormone concentrations in pre- and postmenarcheal girls to determine whether they fit a continuous or dichotomous model of pubertal development surrounding menarche; and (2) to address methodological issues of variability in self-reports of menstrual histories and reliability in reporting age at menarche. Girls (N = 52) ages 9 to 14 years were enrolled in a longitudinal study. Blood was drawn for hormone concentrations. Menstrual-cycle information was collected by questionnaire and oral report. Discrepancies in reporting of age at menarche ranged from 0 to 18 months and variability was noted in length of cycle. There was great overlap in hormones between pre- and postmenarcheal categories. Future studies might consider menarche as the culmination of underlying developmental processes rather than as a discrete event. Limitations of each measure of puberty should be considered by investigators conducting biobehavioral studies of adolescents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing and Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

    Lorah D. Dorn (Assistant Professor)

  2. Developmental Psychopathology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD

    Editha D. Nottelmann (Chief, Depression and Anxiety Program)

  3. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

    Elizabeth J. Susman (Professor of Biobehavior Health)

  4. National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD

    Gale Inoff-Germain (Research Psychologist)

  5. Growth and Recovery Research and Clinical Investigation, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN

    Gordon B. Cutler Jr. (Director)

  6. Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis

    Gordon B. Cutler Jr. (Director)

  7. Pediatric Endocrinology Section, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Director, Pediatric Endocrinology Training Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

    George P. Chrousos (Chief)

Authors
  1. Lorah D. Dorn
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  2. Editha D. Nottelmann
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  3. Elizabeth J. Susman
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  4. Gale Inoff-Germain
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  5. Gordon B. Cutler Jr.
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  6. George P. Chrousos
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Dorn, L.D., Nottelmann, E.D., Susman, E.J. et al. Variability in Hormone Concentrations and Self-Reported Menstrual Histories in Young Adolescents: Menarche as an Integral Part of a Developmental Process. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 28, 283–304 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021680726753

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