journal Of Advanced Research

About the Journal

 The International Journal of Hygiene

 

Causes of Death and Disease Burden in Iran- Across sectional Study 

 

Abstract

       Healthcare providers and policymakers require reliable, up-to-date data on causes of death (COD) to improve healthcare infrastructure, guide primary prevention, allocate resources, and enhance public health initiatives. In Iran, the leading causes of death and their overall burden remain insufficiently identified. Previous studies in this area have been local, outdated, or lacked comprehensive national representation. This study aims to evaluate the major COD and their burden in Iran.                

Introduction       

Healthcare professionals and policymakers need accurate, up-to-date information on mortality causes to enhance healthcare infrastructure, guide preventive measures, allocate resources, and improve public health initiatives. However, in Iran, comprehensive national data on major mortality causes remain scarce. Given the global shift in mortality patterns, where non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are projected to contribute to 70% of all deaths by 2030 (WHO), reassessing mortality trends in Iran is crucial.           

Methods     

A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2014 on graduate students and their families. Using a two-stage random sampling method, data from 11,315 individuals were collected. Information on age at death, gender, and year of death was obtained. Causes of death were classified into nine categories, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, motor vehicle accidents, unintentional injuries, intentional injuries, stroke, lower respiratory infections, diabetes, and other causes. The disease burden was assessed using Years of Life Lost (YLL) and person-years of life lost (PYLL) as primary indicators.

                

Results       

Among 360 reported deaths, 66.9% were male. The leading COD were cardiovascular diseases (26.4%), motor vehicle accidents (17.8%), cancers (11.4%), and injuries (both intentional and unintentional, 12.5%). The average YLL for all COD was 34.4 ± 18.5 years, with motor vehicle accidents and injuries contributing to the highest YLL (p < 0.001). PYLL was highest for motor vehicle accidents (2613.1 years), followed by cardiovascular diseases (2159.4 years) and cancers (1321.0 years).

                

Conclusion       

The findings highlight cardiovascular diseases, motor vehicle accidents, cancers, and injuries as the major causes of death in Iran. Motor vehicle accidents account for the highest years of life lost, followed by cardiovascular diseases and cancers. These results emphasize the urgent need for targeted public health interventions, road safety improvements, and preventive strategies to reduce premature mortality and improve life expectancy in Iran.

                Keywords: Cause of death, mortality, life expectancy, cardiovascular diseases, traffic accidents, public health policies
   

 

Table 1: Cumulative Incidence of Death in the Studied Population

Cause of Death Frequency in Dead Cases (n=360) Cumulative Incidence in Dead Cases (%) Cumulative Incidence in Samples (n=11315)
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Cardiovascular diseases 65 30 95 18.1 8.3 26.4 0.57 0.27 0.84
Motor vehicle accidents 52 12 64 14.4 3.3 17.7 0.46 0.11 0.57
Cancers 25 16 41 6.9 4.4 11.4 0.22 0.14 0.36
Unintentional injuries 14 9 23 3.9 2.5 6.4 0.12 0.08 0.20
Intentional injuries 20 2 22 5.6 0.6 6.1 0.18 0.02 0.19
Stroke 8 2 10 2.2 0.6 2.8 0.07 0.02 0.09
Lower respiratory infections 5 3 8 1.4 0.8 2.2 0.04 0.03 0.07
Diabetes 4 2 6 1.1 0.6 1.7 0.04 0.02 0.05
Other 48 43 91 13.3 11.9 25.2 0.42 0.38 0.80
Total 241 119 360 66.9 39.8 100 2.13 1.05 3.18