Reviewer’s report  
 
Title: Menstrual pattern among adolescent girls of Pokhara Valley: A cross sectional study  
 
Version: 1 Date: 11 Jun 2016  
 
Reviewer: Luis Guillermo Bahamondes  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Sudha Sharma and -co-workers submitted a manuscript entitl ed: "Menstrual pattern among 
adolescent girls of Pokhara Valley: A cross sectional study" in which they evaluated 260 
adolescent girls who fulfilled a questionnaire with 20 items.  
 
My comments:  
The mean age of the girls was 14.0±1.3 years and the mean age  at menarche was at 12.2 ± 0.9 
years. They observed that the mean duration of the menstrual cycle was 34.7 ±11.8 days and that 
64.2% of the interviewed girls had irregular menstrual cycle. Furthermore dysmenorrhoea was 
reported by more than half of the gir ls. 
The manuscript is interested because came from a part of the world with few reports and also 
because reported some characteristics of Nepalese adolescents girls.  
However, the authors:  
1. Does not estimate the sample size nor the power of the sample;  
2. It is unacceptable, in my opinion, verbal consent from the parents;  
3. The questionnaire was in English and they explained to the girls. In my opinion, the 
questionnaire must be on the native language;  
4. The questionnaire include the full name and address and cons equently it could be 
embarrassment for girls the lack of anonymity;  
5. The interviewed girls came from private and public school and consequently the 
socioeconomic status must be different. It is well established that the socioeconomic status 
have a great in fluence on the age of menarche and also on menstrual patterns mainly during 
the first years after the menarche.   
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work in clude the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are you ab le to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevant  to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, con sidering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financia l competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
'I declare that I have no competing interests'  
 
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