Secular trend in age at menarche in Egypt: a national study
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
- 2Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Delta University for Science and Technology, Mansoura, Egypt
- 3Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Delta University for Science and Technology, Mansoura, Egypt
- 4Faculty of Medicine, Delta University for Science & Technology, Mansoura, Egypt
- 5Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
Abstract
Age at menarche (AAM) is an important marker of female pubertal development and population health. Secular declines in AAM have been reported worldwide, but national data from Egypt remain limited. To evaluate secular trends in AAM among Egyptian females and identify factors associated with menarcheal timing. A national cross-sectional study was conducted among Egyptian females aged ≥ 10 years from multiple governorates. Data on AAM, residence, parental education, maternal employment, season of birth, birth order, and retrospectively self-reported weight status at menarche were collected using a structured questionnaire. Participants were classified into six birth cohorts to assess secular trends. Associations between AAM and potential determinants were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. A total of 3,643 Egyptian females aged ≥ 10 years were included. A significant secular decline in AAM was observed across successive birth cohorts, with an approximately one-year reduction between the oldest and youngest cohorts (p < 0.001). Earlier AAM was significantly associated with urban residence and higher parental education. Significant regional variation was observed across governorates. In contrast, season of birth and maternal employment were not significantly associated with AAM.
Conclusions: Egyptian females have experienced a continuing decline in AAM, consistent with global trends toward earlier pubertal onset. Urbanization and socioeconomic factors were associated with earlier menarche. Ongoing monitoring of pubertal timing is warranted. What is Known:
• A secular decline in age at menarche has been reported globally.
• Nutritional and socioeconomic transitions influence pubertal timing.
What is New:
• This is among the first nationally distributed Egyptian studies evaluating secular trends in age at menarche.
• Egyptian females demonstrated an approximately one-year decline in age at menarche across successive birth cohorts; earlier menarche was associated with urban residence and higher parental education in this Egyptian cohort.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-026-07465-6.
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BibTeX
@article{hussein2026secular,
title = {{Secular trend in age at menarche in Egypt: a national study}},
author = {Mohamed Abdelghafar Hussein and Eman M. Meatty and Elsayed A. Eid and Ahmed Attef and Mohamed Gad and Mostafa Awad Zaki and Belal Abdelhamid and Engy Ashraf and Abdel-Hady El-Gilany},
journal = {European Journal of Pediatrics},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1007/s00431-026-07465-6},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-026-07465-6},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Secular trend in age at menarche in Egypt: a national study
AU - Mohamed Abdelghafar Hussein
AU - Eman M. Meatty
AU - Elsayed A. Eid
AU - Ahmed Attef
AU - Mohamed Gad
AU - Mostafa Awad Zaki
AU - Belal Abdelhamid
AU - Engy Ashraf
AU - Abdel-Hady El-Gilany
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - European Journal of Pediatrics
DO - 10.1007/s00431-026-07465-6
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-026-07465-6
AB - Age at menarche (AAM) is an important marker of female pubertal development and population health. Secular declines in AAM have been reported worldwide, but national data from Egypt remain limited. To evaluate secular trends in AAM among Egyptian females and identify factors associated with menarcheal timing. A national cross-sectional study was conducted among Egyptian females aged ≥ 10 years from multiple governorates. Data on AAM, residence, parental education, maternal employment, season of birth, birth order, and retrospectively self-reported weight status at menarche were collected using a structured questionnaire. Participants were classified into six birth cohorts to assess secular trends. Associations between AAM and potential determinants were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. A total of 3,643 Egyptian females aged ≥ 10 years were included. A significant secular decline in AAM was observed across successive birth cohorts, with an approximately one-year reduction between the oldest and youngest cohorts (p < 0.001). Earlier AAM was significantly associated with urban residence and higher parental education. Significant regional variation was observed across governorates. In contrast, season of birth and maternal employment were not significantly associated with AAM. Conclusions: Egyptian females have experienced a continuing decline in AAM, consistent with global trends toward earlier pubertal onset. Urbanization and socioeconomic factors were associated with earlier menarche. Ongoing monitoring of pubertal timing is warranted. What is Known: • A secular decline in age at menarche has been reported globally. • Nutritional and socioeconomic transitions influence pubertal timing. What is New: • This is among the first nationally distributed Egyptian studies evaluating secular trends in age at menarche. • Egyptian females demonstrated an approximately one-year decline in age at menarche across successive birth cohorts; earlier menarche was associated with urban residence and higher parental education in this Egyptian cohort. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-026-07465-6.
SN - 0340-6199
SN - 1432-1076
ER -