Characteristics of the menarche in Hausa girls in Nigeria

SummarySummaryThe age at the menarche was studied among 5736 Hausa girls in Northern Nigeria. The mean age at the menarche was 13 years and 5 months (13.42 × 1.51 years; s.d.). More than a quarter of study population (28.3 per cent) had started menstruating by the age of 13 years, 34.7 per cent by 14 years, 77.5 per cent by 15 years, 93 per cent by 16 years and 100 per cent by 19 years. The age of the menarche in Hausa girls was lower (P > 0.001) than in Yoruba girls from Southern and Western Nigeria (13.94 × 1.30 years) but higher than in Ibo girls from Eastern Nigeria (13.3 ×1.1 years). The difference may be genetic. The age of the menarche was significantly influenced by place of residence, family size, and social class. The characteristics of the menarche have been compared with studies from other African countries.