The early onset of puberty and at the early onset of myopia: a cross-sectional evidence from girls at age 12 in Chongqing, China.

Introduction: The onset of menstruation, a pivotal marker of pubertal development, is recognized linking closely to the growth and health of females during adolescence and adulthood. The objective of this investigation is to elucidate the correlation between the early onset of menarche and the early onset of myopia. Methods: Female subjects aged 12 who took the enrollment physical examination required for junior high school admission were included. Eligible participants underwent anthropometric assessments, ocular examinations, and a structured questionnaire that included the age at menarche. Ocular parameters were compared between groups by menarche age. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between age at menarche and myopia in a sample of 468 participants, approximately 12 years of age. Results: The incidence of myopia in the right eye was observed at 82.7% within the early-menarche group (menarche age ≤ 11), succeeded by 75.8% in the normal-menarche group (menarche age > 11) and 72.3% in the late-menarche group (no menarche at age 12) ( Discussion: Our findings suggested that the early onset of puberty, indicated by early menarche, may trigger and exacerbate the progression of myopia in early adolescence. Additional interventions may be needed to prevent the early onset of myopia at the early stage of adolescence.