الفهرس 
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Abstract
Objectives: The present study aims at identifying factors that influence early menarche among adolescents.
Background: Menarche, the first menstrual period, is an important milestone in the development of female adolescence. Age at menarche has received a great attention over the last few years as having considerable biological, psychosocial and long-term health implications. Age of menarche is determined by several factors including genetic factors, ethnicity/race, nutritional status and body fat, physical activity as well as environmental influences.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of 500student volunteers with early menarche recruited from Prep schools in El-Mahalla El-Kubra. Data were collected using an interviewing questionnaire (about socio-demographic data, menstrual history and factors leading to early menarche. Data collection started from the beginning of October 2014 to the end of November 2014.
Results: The mean age of the studied girls was 13.75 ± 0.4 years old. The mean age of their menarche was 10.99 ± 0.11 while that of their mothers was 11.356±0.93 & that of their sisters was 11.22±0.62 with high statistically significant difference (P<0.001).The current study revealed that eating too much sweet and high fat intake significantly predispose to early age at menarche (P value <0.01). There is significant association between early age at menarche and sleeping enough hours (P <0.05). Also, significant negative correlation between age at menarche & parent income (P value < 0.01) was found. Early age at menarche is significantly associated with paternal education(P value < 0.05).Father`s job, number of family members, family conflict, the presence of step father or step
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mother, order in family, girls` height & body weight (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: There is association between menarcheal age of girls and that of their mothers & sisters. Nutrition, physical activity, socioeconomic level & psychological factors significantly affected age at menarche. There is significant inverse correlation between age at menarche and girls` height, weight & body mass index (BMI).
Keywords: age at menarche, BMI, family income, nutrition, psychological factors.