A case-control study on risk factors of breast cancer in Damghan, Iran

Abstract

Background: The available information denotes the increased annual occurrence of breast cancer in Iranian women and the decreased age of developing this disease. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess risk factors for breast cancer in Iranian women. Methods: The present research was conducted in a hospital-based case-control study on 46 cases and 43 controls from March 2019 to March 2020 in Damghan. The interview was conducted to collect data by a predesigned questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic variables, nutrition and physical activity, and a checklist for fertility, and care items. Descriptive and analytical statistics, including the chi-square and logistic regression models, were used to analyze data by SPSS- ver16. Results: The findings showed that out of 46 cases, only 6 (6.7%) were detected by self-examination and two cases by health workers. The average age of breast cancer in the case group was 53.28 ± 10.4 years. The results showed significant association in many terms of education level, employment status, physical activity, nutrition and fertility factors (OR≤1, P-value≤0.05). Based on the determination coefficient obtained considering the mentioned variables, at minimum, 68.2%, and at maximum, 91% of the changes in the likelihood of developing the risk of breast cancer can be explained. Conclusion: Consistent with most studies, the findings of the current research showed a significant association with the developing risk of breast cancer. Considering that most factors identified in the present study are preventable, there should be effective interventions to control the disease and its complications in society.

Keywords

• breast cancer
• women
• risk factors