Family composition and menarcheal age: anti-inbreeding strategies.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Retrospective cross-sectional observational survey
PubMed 16788900 · doi:10.1002/ajhb.20508
What was done
Retrospective survey data were collected from approximately 1,938 participants from a college population to evaluate the relationship between household family composition and age at menarche.
What was found
The abstract reports directional associations without providing specific numerical values, effect sizes, or confidence intervals. Earlier menarche was associated with absence of a biological father, the presence of half- and step-brothers, and living in an urban environment. Presence of sisters in the household (particularly older sisters) was associated with delayed menarche. Number of brothers and birth order showed no effect on menarcheal age. Body weight and race were also associated with menarche.
Why it matters
The study provides observational support for evolutionary and socioendocrinological hypotheses that household social composition and unrelated male presence may influence female pubertal timing.
Limits
The study relied on retrospective recall in a convenience sample of college students. The abstract provides no numerical data, effect estimates, or significance levels, and potential confounding factors such as childhood nutrition, stress, and socioeconomic status were not detailed.
Cited by
- supports Girls raised with a non-biological father tend on average to reach puberty earlier than girls raised with their biological father.