Relationship between age at menarche and exposure to sexual content in audio-visual media and other factors in Islamic junior high school girls
Abstract: In recent decades,
girls have experienced menarche at earlier ages, which may have negative
effects on health. Exposure to audio-visual media and other factors may
influence the age at menarche, although past studies have produced inconsistent
results.
Objective To assess for relationships between the age at menarche and
audio-visual media exposure, socio-economic status, nutritional status,
physical activity, and psychosocial dysfunction in adolescent girls.
Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from August to October
2015 in students from two integrated Islamic junior high schools in Medan,
North Sumatera. There were 216 students who met the inclusion criteria: aged
10-16 years and experienced menarche. They were asked to fill out
questionnaires that had been previously validated, regarding their history of
exposure to audio-visual media, physical activity, and psychosocial
dysfunction. The data were analyzed by Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests in
order to assess for relationships between audio-visual media exposure and other
potential factors with the age at menarche.
Results Of 261 female students at the two schools, 216 had undergone
menarche, with a mean age at menarche of 11.6 (SD 1.13) years. There was no
significant relationship between age at menarche and audio-visual media
exposure (P=0.68). Also, there were no significant relationships between
factors such as socio-economic and psychosocial status with age at menarche
(P=0.64 and P=0.28, respectively). However, there were significant
relationships between earlier age at menarche and overweight/obese nutritional
status (P=0.02) as well as low physical activity (P=0.01). Multivariate
logistic regression analysis showed that low physical activity had the
strongest influence on early menarche (RP=2.40; 95%CI 0.92 to 6.24).
Conclusion Age at menarche is not significantly associated with sexual
content of audio-visual media exposure. However, there were significant
relationships between earlier age at menarche and obese/overweight nutritional
status as well as low physical activity.
Keywords: audio visual; age at
menarche
Author: Tity Wulandari, Melda
Deliana, Sri Sofyani, Siska Mayasari Lubis
Journal Code: jpkedokterangg170207
