Age of menarche as a risk factor for gynecological cancer in Iranian women and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: This study analyzed the age of menarche in different regions of Iran with a review of previous studies and examined the changes of menarche age over the past years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional study which was conducted in 11 different provinces of Iran with a sample size of 26,831. The year of birth and age of menarche in the population obtained through health records which were available in the health centers collected and also questioning the subjects under investigation. RESULTS: The highest average age of 14.6 years obtained from Kermanshah province and the lowest was from Kerman with 12.98 years. The lowest average was observed with age group under 30 (13.22) and the highest age of menarche (13.53) belonged to the 30 to 40 year age group. The average age of menarche in this study was 13.24 years. DISCUSSION: A declining trend of about two to four months for each ten years has been observed in girls born in 1920s to 1940s and then an upward trend of about nine months for ten years in subjects born in 1950s and 1960s. The stressful condition of war and poor economic and social conditions of Iranian people can justify this upward leap. However in women under 30 years of age, the menarche age showed a rapid declining trend to 13.22 years. CONCLUSION: Obtaining accurate information and knowing all the factors affecting this issue can be very useful in planning the public health in women and health educational programs.

Prevalence of breast cancer in a defined population of iran.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of breast cancer in Asian developing countries is much lower than western developed countries. The main aim of this study was to measure breast cancer prevalence in a defined population of Iran. METHODS: A total of 25201 women who were under coverage of "Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation (IKRF)", which is an organization for delivering supportive social and cultural services to the deprived and poor subgroups of the society, were involved in the study. The study was conducted during years 2007 and 2008. All subjects were interviewed for their socio-demographic features and underwent precise clinical and para-clinical breast examination. RESULTS: Mean age was 47 years with standard deviation 10 ranging from 11 to 88 years. Subjects were from deprived subgroups of the community; were mainly illiterate or had primary school education (86%) and majority of them (93%) had their first full-term pregnancy at age less than 26 years and also were multiparous. With confirmed diagnosis by breast biopsy, breast cancer prevalence was 0.15% (95%CI; 0.10-0.20). CONCLUSION: Compared with developed countries, Asian developing countries have been at a lower risk of breast cancer development. It is seen that more deprived subgroups are at much lower risk. The more industrialized life is accompanied with more hazards.

New results regarding trends in Iranian women's health and a comparison with WHO data.

Half of the world's population consists of women, who play important roles in cultural formation and education, maintain and promote households and their health, and consequently affect the community. In a general sense, women's health may be an important cornerstone for the formation of a healthy community. In developing countries, 67% of women work in the agriculture sector and produce 55% of the food products throughout the world. In East Asian countries, which have the highest level of cloth and furniture export, 74% of workers are women. Due to these considerations, we assessed women's health indicators in Iran. We reviewed health information from national health reports, including two national health surveys conducted in 1991 and 2009 with a sample size of 1/1,000 of the Iranian population, the 2000 Iran Demographic and Health Survey, and all published indices that were calculated in 2006 or later. The most important finding was that the maternal mortality rate decreased from 54 per 100,000 live births in 1991 to 37.4 per 100,000 live births in 1997. It decreased further to 24.7 per 100,000 live births in 2006. The Millennium Development Goal is 18-22 per 100,000 live births in 2015.

Rate of use of contraceptive methods and risk factors in Tehran, the capital of Iran, in 2010 compared to other cities and regions.

BACKGROUND: Unwanted pregnancies and deaths from abortion cost the lives of 500 women daily. This study was designed to determine the rate of use of contraceptive methods and the risks. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010 in Tehran, Iran. Total sample size was 304 participants who all filled out a questionnaire which had two parts. Data were analyzed by SPSS. FINDINGS: The results showed that age (p = 0.003), employment status (p = 0.001), number of children (p = 0.001), and marriage (p = 0.01), had a significant relation with type of contraceptive method while, education did not correlate with contraceptive methods. DISCUSSION: New and often younger couples with no experience about different contraceptive methods may tend to use natural methods because of their lack of knowledge of other techniques. Use of modern contraceptives early in marriage or even before marriage could be a good strategy.