TOWARD A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF EARLY MENARCHE - THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL-STRESS IN PUBERTAL TIMING

A recent theory (Belsky, Steinberg, & Draper, 1991) suggests t at envi ronmental stress may trigger early menarche in adolescents. This is in contrast to a more traditional view that early menarche is biological ly determined and serves as a risk factor for developing girls. The pu rpose of the present study was to examine two family stressors, divorc e and interparental conflict, in light of the Belsky et al. theory. Pa rticipants were 71 adolescent females and their mothers. Of these, 44 were from intact families (i.e., the parents were married), and 27 wer e from divorced families. Age at first menarche was obtained via self- report. Maternal reports of interparental conflict as well as adolesce nt perception of conflict were obtained. Mothers reported on marital s tatus. Results showed that, compared to girls from intact families, th ose from divorced families had an earlier onset of menarche. In additi on, higher maternal reports of interparental conflict were significant ly related to earlier menarche in the total sample. Results are discus sed in relation to the Belsky et al. theory as well as traditional vie ws of early menarche.