Correlation between Menarcheal Age and Height on Female students of Unisba Faculty of Medicine

Abstract

Menarche is the process of first menstrual occurrence that signifies women's biological maturity. Achievement  of height obtained from combination between genetic and non-genetic factors. Non-genetic factors included health status, nutritional status, physical activity and socioeconomic status. The purpose of this study is to determined the correlation between menarcheal age and height on female students of Unisba faculty of medicine. This study is an observational analytic research using cross sectional method. The subjects of the study were female student of Unisba Faculty of Medicine who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study was conducted at the campus of Faculty of Medicine Unisba on April 2017. Subjects were interviewed about menarche age and then grouped into menarcheal age groups, 8 - 10, 11 - 12, 13 - 14, 15 - 16 and 17 - 18 years. Measurement of height was conducted on research subject. Statistical analysis was performed using anova test. Anova test results showed there was a correlation between menarcheal age and height on female student of Unisba Faculty of Medicine with p value = 0,001 (p≤0,05). On 38 subject studied, the average height in the younger menarcheal age group had a shorter height than the average height in the older menarcheal age group. It is associated with an increase in serum estrogen levels before the menarche that causes closing of epiphyseal plates in the lower limbs.