Trends in meat consumption and its association with menarche timing: findings from CHNS 1997-2015

The evidence linking meat intake to early menarche has been contradictory. We aimed to estimate meat intake and time trends among Chinese girls, and to assess the associations between long-term meat intake and menarche. This study used seven rounds of data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, and 5175 girls aged 6-17 years were analyzed. Cox proportional hazard and restricted cubic spline models were used to analyze the associations and dose-response relationships between meat intake and menarche. Over the 15-year period, total meat intake almost doubled, and meat subtype consumption increased among Chinese girls. Increased total meat, red meat, white meat and poultry intake was significantly associated with the risk of earlier menarche. When extreme tertiles were compared, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for total meat, red meat, white meat and poultry were 1.28 (1.06-1.54), 1.19 (1.01-1.42), 1.23 (1.02-1.47) and 1.23 (1.06-1.44), respectively. An approximately U-shaped association was observed: compared to the reference (75 g/day), early menarche risk decreased at lower intakes (25-75 g/day), showed no association at moderate intakes (75-175 g/day), and increased significantly at higher intakes (> 175 g/day). Increased long-term meat consumption was associated with an increased risk of early menarche in Chinese girls.