Association of physical and behavioral characteristics with menstrual cycle patterns in women age 29-31 years

We examined the association between menstrual cycle characteristics(cycle length, variability, and bleeding length) and physical and behavioral attributes in 766 women age 29-31 years. Menstrual cycled at a were prospectively recorded as part of the Menstruation and Reproductive History Study of college women in Minnesota, begun by Alan Treloar in 1934. Data on life time height, weight, physical activity, alcohol and caffeine consumption, and smoking history were collected in 1990 using a self-administered questionnaire. Cycle variability, as measured by the standard deviation of the cycle length, was increased, and menstrual cycles ≥-42 days in length were more common among women in the lowest quartile of Quetelet.