Age at menarche and women wellbeing in Valparaíso, Chile (1851-1895): an historic anthropometric analysis

  • Jaime J. Lacueva Muñoz Universidad de Córdoba, España
  • Héctor Arancibia Martini Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile
  • Benjamín Guillermo Pastén González Liceo Técnico Profesional El Tambo, Chile
  • Juan Luis Villarroel Durán Hospital Carlos Van Buren, Chile
  • Johanna Santibáñez Garviso Investigadora independiente, Chile
Keywords: menarche, biopsychosocial wellbeing, quality of life, urban penalty, 19th century

Abstract

Menarche marks the beginning of female reproductive cycle and constitutes an important milestone of female growth. Age at menarche varies according to genetic and socio-environmental factors, so it stands as an interesting indicator of biological wellbeing of the population. Based on an initial sample of 445 women from Valparaiso, born in 1851-1895, we examine the impact of socio-environmental factors on age of menarche in a historical context characterized by a strong GDP growth and intense, although uneven, urban development. Although results indicate a tendency for menarche to present itself at increasingly younger ages, this tendency is not statistically significant (p > .05). Factors like rural/urban origin, size of the household and intra-household stress do not seem to affect age of menarche in the sample, characterized by a low socio-economic status. Urban penalty phenomena, typical of early processes of modernization, could be partially explaining the results obtained.

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Published
2023-07-31
How to Cite
Lacueva Muñoz, J. J., Arancibia Martini, H., Pastén González , B. G., Villarroel Durán, J. L., & Santibáñez Garviso, J. (2023). Age at menarche and women wellbeing in Valparaíso, Chile (1851-1895): an historic anthropometric analysis. Autoctonía. evista e iencias ociales istoria, 7(2), 1039-1075. https://doi.org/10.23854/autoc.v7i2.320