Skip to main content
Log in

The effects of high altitude on age at menarche and menopause

  • Published:
International Journal of Biometeorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The age at menarche and menopause of three groups of Bhotia females living at high altitude, Himalayan region — Uttar Pradesh, North India, were studied. The Johari Bhotia women had earliest menarche (¯X=15.1±1.1 years) as compared to Rang Bhotias, settled (¯X=15.6±0.9 years) and Rang Bhotias, migratory (¯X=16.0±1.0 years). The differences between all these three groups for age at menarche were significant. A trend towards increase in age at menarche with an increase in altitude has been observed, but the total fertility period in the three groups remained similar as early menarche has been found to be associated with early onset of menopause and late menarche with late menopause.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • BURGESS, A. P. and BURGESS, H. J. L. (1964): The growth pattern of East African school girls. Human Biol., 36: 177–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • CLEGG, E. J., HARRISON, G. A. and BAKER, P. T. (1970): The impact of high altitudes on human populations. Human Biol., 42: 486–518.

    Google Scholar 

  • DAMON, A. (1969): Age at menarche of mothers and daughters with a note on accuracy of recall. Human Biol., 41: 161–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • EIBEN, O. G. (1972): Genetische und demographische Faktoren und Menarchealter. Anthropol. Anz., 33: 205.

    Google Scholar 

  • GRIMM, H. (1952): Menarche statistics of Berlin public school graduates. Zbl. für GynÄk., 74: 1743–1745.

    Google Scholar 

  • HAUSER, G. A. (1963): Menarche and Menopause in Israel. Gynocol. Basel, 155: 38–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • I.C.M.R. (1972): Growth and development of Indian infants and children. Technical report series No. 18.

  • KEYS, A., BROZEK, J., HENSCHEL, A., MICKELSEN, O. and TAYLOR, L. (1950): The Biology of Human Starvation. Minneapolis. Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • KRALJ-CERCEK, L. (1956): The influence of food, body build and social origin on the age at menarche. Human Biol., 28: 393–406.

    Google Scholar 

  • LEE, M. C., CHANG, K. S. F. and CHAN, M. M. C. (1963): Sexual maturation of Chinese girls in Hong Kong. Paediatrics, 32: 389–398.

    Google Scholar 

  • MACMAHON, B. (1973): Age at menarche: United States, DHEW Publication No. (HRA) 74-1615, NHS series 11, No. 133, National Centre of health statistics, Rookville, Maryland.

    Google Scholar 

  • MALCOLM, L. A. (1970): Growth and development in the Bundi child of the New Guinea highlands. Human Biol., 42: 293–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • MATSUMOTO, S., NOGAMI, O. Y. and OHASHI, H. (1963): Menstrual cycle in puberty. Gunma J. Med. Sci. 12: 119–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • MIKLASHEVSKAYA, N., SOLOVYEVA, J. S., GODINA, E.Z. and KONDIK, V. M. (1972): Growth processes in man under conditions of the high mountains. Trans. Moscow Soc. Nat. 43: 181, cited by Eveleth, P. B. and J. M. Tanner, 1976. In: World-wide variations in Human Growth, Cambridge University Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • MILICER, H. and SZCZOTKA, F. (1966): The age at menarche in Warsaw girls in 1965. Human Biol., 38: 199–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • PAWSON, I. G. (1974): The growth and development of high altitude children with special emphasis on populations of Tibetan origin in Nepal. Ph.D. thesis, The Pennsylvania State University.

  • RAKSHIT, S. (1960): A short note on the menarcheal age of Assamese girls — Man in India, 40: 52–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • SARKAR, S. S. and ROYCHAUDHURY, J. (1963): The secular trend of menarcheal age in the city girls of Calcutta. Man in India, 48: 349–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • SATWANTI, BHALLA, R., KAPOOR, A. K. and SINGH, INDERA P. (1982): Variation in the age at menarche due to physical exercise and altitude. Z. Morph. Anthrop. In Press.

  • SATYANARAYANA, K. and NAIDU, A. N. (1979): Nutrition and menarche in rural Hyderabad. Ann. Human Biol., 6: 163–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • SEN, T.: (1953): Reproductive life of some Indian women. Man in India, 33: 31–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • TANNER, J. M. (1973): Trend towards earlier menarche in London, Oslo, Copenhagen, the Netherlands and Hungary, Nature, 243: 95.

    Google Scholar 

  • WEITZ, C. A., PAWSON, I. G., WEIZ, M. V., LANG, S. D. R. and LANG, A. (1978): Cultural factors affecting the demographic structures of a high altitude Nepalese population. Social Biol., 25: 179–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • WILSON, B. C. and SUTHERLAND, I. (1950): Age at menarche. Brit. Med. J., 1, 1267.

    Google Scholar 

  • YANAGISAWA, S. and KONDO, S. (1973): Modernization and physical features of the Japanese with special reference to leg length and head form. J. Hum. Ergol., 2: 97.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kapoor, A.K., Kapoor, S. The effects of high altitude on age at menarche and menopause. Int J Biometeorol 30, 21–26 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02192054

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02192054

Keywords

Navigation