Prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of thyroid disorders in a southwestern Iranian population: findings from the PERSIAN Dena Cohort Study
4 affiliations
- 1Student Research Committee, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
- 2Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
- 3National Center for Health Insurance Research, Tehran, Iran
- 4Clinical Research Development Center, Shahid Jalil Hospital, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
Abstract
Background: Thyroid disorders are among the most common endocrine conditions worldwide, yet population-based prevalence and incidence data from ethnically distinct, semi-rural regions of Iran remain limited. This study aimed to determine the baseline prevalence, five-year cumulative incidence, and associated risk factors of thyroid disease among adult participants of the PERSIAN Dena Cohort Study (PDCS) in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, southwestern Iran.
Methods: This prospective cohort study used baseline data from 3,203 adults aged 35–70 years to estimate thyroid disease prevalence, and five-year follow-up data from 2,829 disease-free participants to estimate cumulative and annual incidence proportions. Data on demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, dietary, and clinical factors were collected using standardized questionnaires. Thyroid disease was ascertained based on self-reported physician diagnosis and medication use. Associations were assessed using chi-square and Mann–Whitney U tests, and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with prevalent thyroid disease. Annual incidence proportions were calculated based on the population at risk at the beginning of each year. Analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26), with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The baseline prevalence of thyroid disease was 11.7% (374/3,203), and the five-year cumulative incidence among initially disease-free participants was 2,261.48 per 100,000 population, with 64 incident cases identified. Female sex was the strongest independent correlate of thyroid disease (OR = 4.61; 95% CI: 2.83–7.52). History of memory impairment (OR = 1.67), history of depression (OR = 1.47), history of chronic headache (OR = 1.49), kidney stones (OR = 1.29), higher vitamin D intake (IU/day) (OR = 1.08), and lower total trans fatty acid intake (OR = 0.48), although these findings should be interpreted with caution, likely due to reverse causation or residual confounding, were also independently associated with thyroid disease. Thyroid disease was further associated with lower educational attainment, lower physical activity, lower overall dietary energy and micronutrient intake, and a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
Conclusion: Clinically diagnosed thyroid disease is relatively common in this population, with a higher prevalence observed in certain demographic and clinical subgroups. However, the observed associations are primarily cross-sectional and should not be interpreted as causal. These findings provide descriptive epidemiological insights and may help inform future longitudinal and interventional studies; whether these characteristics can support effective targeted testing strategies requires prospective validation.
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BibTeX
@article{nejatiyan2026prevalence,
title = {{Prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of thyroid disorders in a southwestern Iranian population: findings from the PERSIAN Dena Cohort Study}},
author = {Marziye Nejatiyan and Cirruse Salehnasab and Maryam Seyed-Nezhad and Morteza Rakhshmah and Mohammad Moradi-Joo},
journal = {BMC Endocrine Disorders},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12902-026-02464-y},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-026-02464-y},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of thyroid disorders in a southwestern Iranian population: findings from the PERSIAN Dena Cohort Study
AU - Marziye Nejatiyan
AU - Cirruse Salehnasab
AU - Maryam Seyed-Nezhad
AU - Morteza Rakhshmah
AU - Mohammad Moradi-Joo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/08
JO - BMC Endocrine Disorders
DO - 10.1186/s12902-026-02464-y
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-026-02464-y
AB - Background: Thyroid disorders are among the most common endocrine conditions worldwide, yet population-based prevalence and incidence data from ethnically distinct, semi-rural regions of Iran remain limited. This study aimed to determine the baseline prevalence, five-year cumulative incidence, and associated risk factors of thyroid disease among adult participants of the PERSIAN Dena Cohort Study (PDCS) in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, southwestern Iran. Methods: This prospective cohort study used baseline data from 3,203 adults aged 35–70 years to estimate thyroid disease prevalence, and five-year follow-up data from 2,829 disease-free participants to estimate cumulative and annual incidence proportions. Data on demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, dietary, and clinical factors were collected using standardized questionnaires. Thyroid disease was ascertained based on self-reported physician diagnosis and medication use. Associations were assessed using chi-square and Mann–Whitney U tests, and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with prevalent thyroid disease. Annual incidence proportions were calculated based on the population at risk at the beginning of each year. Analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26), with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The baseline prevalence of thyroid disease was 11.7% (374/3,203), and the five-year cumulative incidence among initially disease-free participants was 2,261.48 per 100,000 population, with 64 incident cases identified. Female sex was the strongest independent correlate of thyroid disease (OR = 4.61; 95% CI: 2.83–7.52). History of memory impairment (OR = 1.67), history of depression (OR = 1.47), history of chronic headache (OR = 1.49), kidney stones (OR = 1.29), higher vitamin D intake (IU/day) (OR = 1.08), and lower total trans fatty acid intake (OR = 0.48), although these findings should be interpreted with caution, likely due to reverse causation or residual confounding, were also independently associated with thyroid disease. Thyroid disease was further associated with lower educational attainment, lower physical activity, lower overall dietary energy and micronutrient intake, and a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. Conclusion: Clinically diagnosed thyroid disease is relatively common in this population, with a higher prevalence observed in certain demographic and clinical subgroups. However, the observed associations are primarily cross-sectional and should not be interpreted as causal. These findings provide descriptive epidemiological insights and may help inform future longitudinal and interventional studies; whether these characteristics can support effective targeted testing strategies requires prospective validation.
SN - 1472-6823
ER -