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Citation
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Pasdar Y, Najafi F, Moradinazar M, Shakiba E, Karim H, Hamzeh B, Nelson M, Dobson A. Int. J. Epidemiol. 2019; 48(3): 682-683f. |
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Abstract
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The increase in the incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases is one of the greatest challenges that health care systems face today. Modern lifestyles and increased longevity have led to an increase in exposure to risk factors, which has led in turn to a rise in the incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).1 Understanding the underlying causes of NCDs in Iran is a priority for the government. Despite effective health promotion programmes by decision makers and health authorities, changes in lifestyle and increasing life expectancy have exacerbated the risk of NCDs.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Iran, accounting for 39.3% of mortality.2,3 After road traffic accidents, cancer is the third most common cause of death. Data reported in 2011 showed that more than four million Iranian adults were suffering from diabetes, a 35% increase compared with 2004. The prevalence of impaired fasting glucose and diabetes in people aged 25-70 years was 14.6% and 11.4%, respectively.4 Overweight and obesity, which have strong associations with NCDs, have shown increasing trends during recent decades.5
To address these issues in Iran in a comprehensive and co-ordinated fashion, the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies of the IrAN (PERSIAN) cohorts have been established with the support and co-ordination of the Digestive Disease Research Institute (DDRI) and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran (http://persiancohort.com). There are currently 19 centres, including RaNCD, following agreed protocols. The primary objectives of the RaNCD cohort study are as follows: A) to determine trends in the incidence of NCDs and other major outcomes (such as hospital admission and death) in people aged 35-65 years living in the Ravansar district, a Kurdish region in western Iran; B) to determine the incidence and prevalence of important risk factors for NCDs; C) to clarify the associations between risk factors and NCDs and to collaborate with the other PERSIAN cohort centres to maximize the learning from the combined cohort data; and D) to facilitate the implementation of future health interventions based on national evidence.
The RaNCD study is the first cohort study to investigate NCDs in a Kurdish population. Kurdish settlements cover expansive parts of west and northwest Iran, east and southeast Turkey, north and northeast Iraq, and northeast Syria, with an approximate area of 190 000 km2 (Figure 1). The population of Kurds is estimated at 45 million, including 5-7 million who are Iranian residents. The RaNCD cohort study is being conducted in the rural and urban areas of Ravansar in the west of Kermanshah province. Kermanshah province has an area of 24 434 km2 and about two million people. The city of Kermanshah, centre of the province, is the largest and most important Kurdish settlement in western Iran, with a population of about one million. The Ravansar population is about 50 000, almost all of Iranian Kurdish ethnicity. There are three urban healthcare centres in Ravansar, two rural healthcare centres and 32 active local health care units (Health Houses) in rural areas...
Language: en |