Associations of childhood adiposity with menstrual irregularity and polycystic ovary syndrome in adulthood: The childhood determinants of adult health study and the Bogalusa heart study

Abstract

STUDY QUESTION: Is high adiposity in childhood associated with menstrual irregularity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in later life? SUMMARY ANSWER: Overall, greater childhood BMI was associated with menstrual irregularity, and greater childhood BMI and waist/height ratio (WHtR) in white but not black participants were associated with PCOS in adulthood. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Increased childhood BMI has been associated with irregular menstrual cycles and PCOS symptoms in adulthood in two longitudinal population-based studies, but no study has reported on associations with childhood abdominal obesity. Few studies have investigated whether there are racial differences in the associations ..