Journal of
Public Health and Epidemiology

  • Abbreviation: J. Public Health Epidemiol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2316
  • DOI: 10.5897/JPHE
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 651

Full Length Research Paper

Age at menarche and menstrual cycle pattern among schoolgirls in Kassala in eastern Sudan

Abdel Aziem  A. Ali1, Duria A. Rayis2, Mona Mamoun1 and Ishag  Adam2*
1Faculty of Medicine, Kassala University, Sudan. 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 18 January 2011
  •  Published: 31 March 2011

Abstract

A cross-sectional school survey was carried out during January to February 2010 in 8 schools to investigate the age at menarche, menstrual cycle pattern among school girls in Kassala, eastern Sudan. Structured questionnaires were used to gather the socio-demographic data, age at menarche, regularity of the menstrual cycle and associated symptoms. Out of 900 schoolgirls investigated their age ranges between 9 to 19 with mean ± SD of 14.0 ± 4.7 years. Only 73% experienced menarche by the time of interview. The mean age ± SD of 13.07 ± 1.0 years, which was 0.9 year younger in the urban girls. The majority of girls (76.4%) experienced delayed menarche. The period was regular in 68.5% of these girls with the cycle length ranges between 21 to 35 days the mean ± SD duration of blood flow was 4 ± 1.2 days. The overall prevalence of dysmenorhea was 83.1 and 59.8% of the subject experienced premenstrual symptoms. In conclusion the menarcheal age was delayed in our study, it varies with residence, dysmenorrhea was a common health problem among the school girls.

 

Key words: Menarche, menstrual cycle, school girls, Sudan.