Estimating the median age at menarche with a Logit model: Application to African DHS surveys
Population studies
34
Issue: 1
(02 - 2020)
Abstract
Background: The study investigates the median age at menarche in African countries.
Data Source and Methods: DHS surveys provided information on the proportion ever-menstruating among
women age I 5- 19. A linear-logistic regression model was used to derive the median age at menarche
(statu quo method). Some 139 DHS surveys were analysed, for a total of 304,826 women. Results:
Results show a wide range of variations of the median age at menarche among the 35 countries
investigated, from 13. I to I 5.2 years.
Conclusion: Country variations were correlated with various variables indicating the level
of development (Income per capita; Caloric intal‹e; Urbanization; Child mortality; Fertility; Age
at marriage). Two variables were particularly important: food intake and urbanization.
Keywords: Age at menarche; Logit model; Socio-economic correlates; DHS surveys; Sub-Saharan
Africa.
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