Saeideh Nasiri - Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mahrokh Dolatian - Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani - Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Azam Bagheri - Department of Midwifery, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
Hamid Alavi Majd - Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Reza Pakzad - Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.

Background: Due to the increased effect of environmental factors on the age of menarche and the correlation between the mothers’ and daughters’ age of menarche, we aimed at performing a meta-analysis to compare the mean age of menarche between the mothers and their daughters, examining the correlation between them. Objective: This systematic review was conducted to determine the heritability of daughters’ age of menarche. Materials and Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, a complete search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Science Direct, and CINAHL electronic databases in English with no time limitation. A meta-regression analysis was then performed to evaluate the effect of age and sample size. ۱۳ studies with a total sample size of ۹۷۱۹ for calculating the standardized mean difference and ۱۵ articles with a total sample size of ۸۸۴۰, related to the research objectives, were analyzed in this meta-analysis. Results: The pooled mean of the daughters’ age of menarche was ۱۲.۶۲ yrs. (۹۵% CI: ۱۲.۳۷ – ۱۲.۸۷) and that of the mothers’ age of menarche was ۱۳.۵۸ yrs. (۹۵% CI: ۱۳.۳۱ – ۱۳.۸۱). The standardized mean difference between the mothers’ and daughters’ ages of menarche was -۰.۷۲ (CI: -۰.۹۹ to -۰.۴۴). The results of the meta-analysis revealed that, overall, there is a significant positive correlation between the mothers’ and daughters’ ages of menarche (r=۰.۲۷ [CI ۹۵%: ۰.۱۷-۰.۳۶]). Conclusion: The daughters’ ages of menarche were positively correlated to those of their mothers, but the other environmental factors that may affect this decreasing trend should also be taken into account. Health policy-makers should plan to identify strong predictors, which can be effective in reducing the age of menarche.

Heredity, Menarche, Menstruation, Mother, Daughter, Meta-analysis