Timing of menarche and pubertal growth patterns using the QEPS growth model.

Objectives: To explore the timing of menarche, postmenarcheal growth, and to investigate the impact of various variables on menarcheal age and postmenarcheal and pubertal growth.

Study Design: This longitudinal community population-based study analyzed pubertal growth and menarcheal age in 793 healthy term-born Swedish girls, a subset of the GrowUpGothenburg cohort. The timing of menarche and postmenarcheal growth was related to variables from the Quadratic-Exponential-Pubertal-Stop (QEPS) growth model, birth characteristics, and parental height.