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Background: Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women after breast and colorectal cancers, and one of the leading causes of cancer death among women worldwide. The aim of this study is to determine the associations of cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates with the Human Development Index. Methods: Information of the incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer were obtained from the GLOBOCAN Cancer Project for 2012 and data for the Human Development Index for 2013 from the World Bank database. We used linear regression models to assess the Human Development Index effect on cervical cancer occurrence rates. Inequality in the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer according to the Human Development Index were assessed by the concentration index. Results: The results showed substantially higher cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates in regions with low and medium Human Development Index compared to regions that had substantially elevated Human Development Index. The death and incidence from cervical cancer were more concentrated in low Human Development Index countries. There was a significant negative association between the cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates with all the components of the Human Development Index, including life expectancy (B= -0.98, P<0.001), mean years of schooling (B= -1.86, P<0.001), gross national income (B= -0.38, P<0.001), urbanization level (B= -0.29, P<0.001), and age standardized obesity (B= -0.45, P<0.001). Conclusion: Cervical cancer is a significant public health problem in countries with low Human Development Index and requires the implementation of prevention programs and screening for early detection and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of socioeconomic status on adolescent smoking behaviors is unclear, and sparse studies are available about the potential association. The present study aimed to measure and explain socioeconomic inequality in smoking behavior among a sample of Iranian adolescents. In a cross-sectional survey, a multistage sample of adolescents (n = 1,064) was recruited from high school students in Zanjan city, northwest of Iran. Principal component analysis was used to measure economic status of adolescents. Concentration index was used to measure socioeconomic inequality in smoking behavior, and then it was decomposed to reveal inequality contributors. Concentration index and its 95% confidence interval for never, experimental, and regular smoking behaviors were 0.004 [−0.03, 0.04], 0.05 [0.02, 0.11], and −0.10 [−0.04, −0.19], respectively. The contribution of economic status to measured inequality in experimental and regular smoking was 80.0% and 68.8%, respectively. Household economic status could be targeted as one of the relevant factors in the unequal distribution of smoking behavior among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Esophageal cancer is the second most common malignancy in Iranian men and third most common in Iranian women. The aim of this study is to discover the geographic distribution for age-standardized incidence rate of esophageal cancer among both genders in Iran. Methods: This ecological study used re-analysis medical records aggregated to provinces from the National Cancer Registry and Disease Control and Prevention Report of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education for esophageal cancer in 2008. For each province, we calculated the average annual age-standardized incidence rate. Results: Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histological type of esophageal cancer in males (65.4%) and females (75%). The age-standardized incidence rate for esophageal cancer in Western, Northwest, Northern and Northeast provinces of Iran were higher than other provinces. We observed the highest age-standardized incidence rate in both genders in the 80-84 year age group with 147.5 in males and 114.5 in females. Conclusion: Given that the Western, Northwest, Northern, and Northeast provinces were hot zones for esophageal cancer in Iran, increased access to screening services and implementation of prevention programs should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of death, especially in developed countries. The human development index (HDI) and its dimensions seem correlated with incidence and mortality rates of PC. This study aimed to assess the association of the specific components of HDI (life expectancy at birth, education, gross national income per 1000 capita, health, and living standards) with burden indicators of PC worldwide., Materials and Methods: Information of the incidence and mortality rates of PC was obtained from the GLOBOCAN cancer project in year 2012 and data about the HDI 2013 were obtained from the World Bank database. The correlation between incidence, mortality rates, and the HDI parameters were assessed using STATA software., Results: A significant inequality of PC incidence rates was observed according to concentration indexes=0.25 with 95% CI (0.22, 0.34) and a negative mortality concentration index of -0.04 with 95% CI (-0.09, 0.01) was observed., Conclusions: A positive significant correlation was detected between the incidence rates of PC and the HDI and its dimensions including life expectancy at birth, education, income, urbanization level and obesity. However, there was a negative significant correlation between the standardized mortality rates and the life expectancy, income and HDI.