ESPE Abstracts

Objective: Puberty has a significant contribution to different psychosocial wellbeing aspects. Hence; it is crucial to understand the normal variations in onset and tempo of puberty in a specific population. In this study, we aimed to provide normative data on timing of onset of puberty and age of menarche in Saudi schoolgirls in Riyadh

Methods: This is a cross-sectional field study (2011-2013) including Saudi schoolgirls (grade 1-12; aged 6 to 17 years). Schools were chosen to represent population from urban and rural areas in Riyadh region compared to Phase I study in only urban areas. We assessed the onset of puberty by the age of reaching pubertal maturity breast Tanner stage 2. We also assessed the age of menarche in those who attended it. Means and standard deviations were calculated using SPSS analysis.

Results: We recruited 2001 schoolgirls of which, 1218 attained their menarche at a mean age of 12.38 +/- 1.324 years (25th - 75th centile = 12-13 years). The estimated mean age of pubertal onset at B2 was 11.76 (9-16 years) +/- 1.297 with a 25th centile at 11, 50th at 12 and 75th at 13 years of age. (95%CI 11.60-12.0) years. Compared to data from the same team in Puberty phase I study in 2006, the age of menarche has further declined in adolescent Saudi girls from 13.08+/-1.1 years. However, the age of onset of puberty in phase I study was 10 years.

Conclusion: Our data present the norms of age of onset of puberty in Saudi schoolgirls in Riyadh. Saudi adolescent females had further downward secular trend in the age of menarche from that observed in 2006 phase I study. The inclusion of girls from rural areas could also affect these differences. Saudi girls probably now spend a shorter period in puberty giving a later age of onset and earlier age of menarche.