MENARCHEAL AGE IN UNIVERSITY-OF-WARWICK YOUNG-WOMEN

Data from the final 16 years of a 28-year ongoing survey of menarcheal age are reported. From 1971 onwards, recalled aged at menarche was re corded for all young women entering the University of Warwick. These d ata show that mean menarcheal age is increasing, a trend which is inde pendent of father's occupation, family size, position of girl in the f amily, and physique. This continues a similar upward tendency noted in a preceding study in Swansea. It appears that the downward trend to e arlier age at menarche of the earlier decades of this century has been replaced by one in the opposite direction.