Survey of Menstrual Function in Young Nigerian Athletes
- 1 February 1988
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Georg Thieme Verlag KG in International Journal of Sports Medicine
- Vol. 09 (01), 29-34
- https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-1024974
Abstract
Menstrual function was assessed comparatively in different categories of 155 Nigerian athletes, aged 13-19 years, and 135 nonathletes, aged 12-18 years, who answered questionnaires and were interviewed. Menstruation was more regular and normal in the nonathletes (44%) than the athletes (21%). Although both groups generally had similar patterns of menstrual dysfunction, secondary amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea (O/A) was more prevalent in the athletes (25%) than the nonathletes (10%). Among the athletes, only the distance runners strikingly (35%) reported experiencing O/A. Distance runners were significantly lighter and leaner than nonathletes and athletes of other sports (P<0.05). Regardless of sports activity, oligomenorrheic subjects had substantially lower body weight relative to stature and were leaner than subjects of the other menstrual categories. In the oligomenorrheic group, a greater proportion of the athletes (59%) and nonathletes (57%) had lean body mass values below the 41st percentile. The pre-menarche-trained athletes (48%) reported a higher incidence of menstrual cycle irregularities than the athletes who began training after the menarche. Results support the role of body composition-related factors in the etiology of exercise-associated O/A.Keywords
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