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Maternal age at menarche and offspring body mass index in childhood
Hui Wang1, Yunting Zhang2, Ying Tian3
1MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
Insights
Mothers who experienced earlier menarche had children with higher body mass index (BMI). This suggests an intergenerational effect of early puberty on offspring BMI development.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Public Health
Background:
- Earlier age of menarche is linked to increased adult chronic disease risk.
- The intergenerational impact of early menarche on offspring health remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal age of menarche (MAM) and offspring body mass index (BMI).
- To explore potential mediating roles of maternal BMI and gestational diabetes in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Population-based cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China (2014).
- Involved 17,571 children aged 6-13 years.
- Utilized multiple linear regression and mediation analysis.
Main Results:
- Earlier MAM was associated with higher offspring BMI in both boys and girls.
- Maternal BMI significantly mediated this association, accounting for 37.7% in boys and 19.4% in girls.
- No mediation effect was found for gestational diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Early maternal menarche is associated with increased offspring BMI.
- This study provides evidence for an intergenerational effect on BMI development.
Background:
Earlier age of menarche has been associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases during adulthood, but whether early menarche has intergenerational effect is not clear.
Methods:
In this population-based cross-sectional study, we recruited children from 26 primary schools using cluster random probability sampling in Shanghai, China, in 2014. We used multiple linear regression models to estimate the adjusted associations of maternal age of menarche (MAM) with offspring body mass index (BMI). We also used the mediation analysis to examine the contribution of maternal BMI and gestational diabetes to offspring BMI.
Results:
A total of 17,571 children aged 6-13 years were enrolled, of whom 16,373 had their weight and height measured. Earlier MAM was associated with higher child BMI in boys (- 0.05 z-score per year older MAM, 95% CI - 0.08 to - 0.02) and in girls (- 0.05 z-score per year older MAM, 95% CI - 0.07 to - 0.02). Maternal BMI positively mediated the association of MAM with offspring BMI in both sexes, with mediation effects of 37.7 and 19.4% for boys and girls, respectively.
Conclusion:
Early maternal menarche was associated with greater offspring BMI. This study provides evidence for the intergenerational effect in the development of BMI in offspring.
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