The relation of menarcheal age to obesity in childhood and adulthood: the Bogalusa heart study

BMC Pediatrics

Table 2 Relation of Menarcheal Age to Adult Levels of Various Characteristics

	Menarcheal Age (y)			Correlation with Menarcheal Age^a
	< 12	12–13.4	≥ 13.5
Whites
N	194	364	213
Weight (kg)	73.2^b	64.8	64.1	-0.21*
BMI (kg/m²)	27.6	24.4	23.9	-0.24*
BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² (%)	32%	16%	11%
Triceps skinfold thickness (mm)	28	24	23	-0.21*
Subscapular Skinfold (mm)	25	20	20	-0.21*
Subscapular / Triceps	0.92	0.84	0.85	-0.09* (0.02)^c
Height (cm)	163	163	164	0.05
Blacks
N	121	174	113
Weight (kg)	80.6	71.2	69.4	-0.21*
BMI (kg/m²)	30.3	26.9	26.1	-0.23*
BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² (%)	42%	26%	23%
Triceps skinfold thickness (mm)	29	24	22	-0.22*
Subscapular Skinfold (mm)	28	24	22	-0.24*
Subscapular / Triceps	1.00	1.03	0.97	-0.07 (-0.03)^c
Height (cm)	163	163	163	0.05

^a Age-adjusted Spearman correlation coefficients; ^b Mean levels have been adjusted for the difference in examination ages across the 3 groups using linear regression; ^c Correlations in parentheses have been adjusted for both age and adult BMI. H₀: Spearman correlation = 0: *p < 0.001

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