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The effects of age at menarche and first sexual intercourse on reproductive and behavioural outcomes: A Mendelian randomization study

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  • Rebecca B Lawn
  • Hannah M Sallis
  • Robyn E Wootton
  • Amy E Taylor
  • Perline Demange
  • Abigail Fraser
  • Ian S Penton-Voak
  • Marcus R Munafò

Abstract

There is substantial variation in the timing of significant reproductive life events such as menarche and first sexual intercourse. Life history theory explains this variation as an adaptive response to an individual’s environment and it is important to examine how traits within life history strategies affect each other. Here we applied Mendelian randomization (MR) methods to investigate whether there is a causal effect of variation in age at menarche and age at first sexual intercourse (markers or results of exposure to early life adversity) on outcomes related to reproduction, education and risky behaviour in UK Biobank (N = 114 883–181 255). Our results suggest that earlier age at menarche affects some traits that characterize life history strategies including earlier age at first and last birth, decreased educational attainment, and decreased age at leaving education (for example, we found evidence for a 0.26 year decrease in age at first birth per year decrease in age at menarche, 95% confidence interval: -0.34 to -0.17; p

Suggested Citation

  • Rebecca B Lawn & Hannah M Sallis & Robyn E Wootton & Amy E Taylor & Perline Demange & Abigail Fraser & Ian S Penton-Voak & Marcus R Munafò, 2020. "The effects of age at menarche and first sexual intercourse on reproductive and behavioural outcomes: A Mendelian randomization study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0234488
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234488
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    Cited by:

    1. Amanda Rowlands & Emma C. Juergensen & Ana Paula Prescivalli & Katrina G. Salvante & Pablo A. Nepomnaschy, 2021. "Social and Biological Transgenerational Underpinnings of Adolescent Pregnancy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-19, November.

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