INTERCORRELATIONS BETWEEN MENSTRUAL-CYCLE PATTERNS AND BODY DIMENSIONS IN AUSTRIAN WOMEN

The relationships between 29 cephalic and post-cephalic body dimension s and the length and regularity of the menstrual cycle, as well as the duration of menstrual bleeding, have been investigated in 327 Austria n women. Five of the eight head measurements and seventeen of the 21 b ody measurements correlated statistically significantly with the indiv idual menstrual variables. Measures of facial and post-cephalic robust ness and the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue correlated negatively w ith the length of cycle, as well as with the difference between minimu m and maximum cycle length, a measure of the cycle regularity. The pos t-cephalic height and length dimensions correlated significantly posit ively with bleeding duration. The results indicated a marked influence of body type, especially the amount of subcutaneous fat, on the lengt h and regularity of the menstrual cycle.