Objective: To evaluate age of menarche and anthropometric data of schoolgirls of different socioeconomic levels in Cascavel, state of Parana, in Southern Brazil.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2006 with 2,761 girls evaluated in 27 private and public schools. Age at menarche was obtained by the status quo method. Sexual maturity was assessed by self evaluation, according to Tanner's criteria. Socioeconomic level was obtained through the ABEP (2003) questionnaire. Data of weight, stature and Body Mass Index (BMI) were obtained. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney test at 5% significance.
Results: Age at menarche was 12.2+/-1.2 years in the whole sample, and was 12.1+/-1.1; 12.3+/-1.2 and 12.4+/-1.2 in girls from high, medium and low socioeconomic levels, respectively. Post-menarche girls aged 10-17 years had higher values of stature and weight and girls aged 11-14 years had higher BMI.
Conclusions: Age at menarche was lesser in girls from a higher socioeconomic level. Although these differences had been found in distinct socioeconomic levels, they were considered biologically small.