Spatial Patterns of Chronic Diseases in an Urban Setting and Their Association With Household Characteristics: A Cross‑Sectional Study From Iran
5 affiliations
- 1Student Research Committee Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran.
- 2Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran.
- 3Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Earth Sciences Shahid Beheshti University Tehran Iran.
- 4Department of Geriatric Health, Faculty of Health Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran.
- 5Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran.
Abstract
Background and Aims Chronic diseases represent a major contributor to disease burden and mortality in Iran. Understanding their local spatial patterns may help inform future health planning. Despite their rising prevalence, region‐based analyses at the urban level remain underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution patterns of four major groups of chronic diseases in the metropolitan area of Tabriz and their associations with household economic characteristics and structure. Methods This cross‐sectional study was conducted in 2025 on 602 households residing in the nine municipal districts of Tabriz. Sampling employed a multi‐stage stratified cluster method, proportional to district populations. Data were collected via a household information form covering age, sex, education, and disease types, administered through telephone interviews. Analyses were performed using SPSS software. To visualize the spatial distribution of chronic diseases, disease prevalence was calculated as the ratio of reported cases to the total number of respondents in each district, and spatial maps were produced using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Results Approximately 36% of households reported at least one member with a chronic disease. Cardiovascular diseases (18.7%) and type 2 diabetes (16.9%) exhibited the highest prevalence. District 8 showed the highest density of three major chronic disease types, whereas District 10 had the highest prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders. Household income in the 10–15 million Iranian Rials range and household sizes of 2–3 members were significantly associated with reduced odds of chronic diseases (p < 0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of chronic diseases varied across different areas of Tabriz, while household income and household size were associated with the likelihood of reporting chronic disease. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating spatial and household‐level characteristics into healthcare planning and resource allocation. However, given the cross‐sectional design of the study, the observed associations should not be interpreted as causal relationships.
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BibTeX
@article{mostafanejad2026spatial,
title = {{Spatial Patterns of Chronic Diseases in an Urban Setting and Their Association With Household Characteristics: A Cross‑Sectional Study From Iran}},
author = {Reyhaneh Mostafanejad and Roqiyeh Salek Ghahfarkhi and Nafiseh Ghassab-Abdollahi and Ramin Rezapour},
journal = {Health Science Reports},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1002/hsr2.73500},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.73500},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Spatial Patterns of Chronic Diseases in an Urban Setting and Their Association With Household Characteristics: A Cross‑Sectional Study From Iran
AU - Reyhaneh Mostafanejad
AU - Roqiyeh Salek Ghahfarkhi
AU - Nafiseh Ghassab-Abdollahi
AU - Ramin Rezapour
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/10
JO - Health Science Reports
DO - 10.1002/hsr2.73500
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.73500
AB - Background and Aims Chronic diseases represent a major contributor to disease burden and mortality in Iran. Understanding their local spatial patterns may help inform future health planning. Despite their rising prevalence, region‐based analyses at the urban level remain underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution patterns of four major groups of chronic diseases in the metropolitan area of Tabriz and their associations with household economic characteristics and structure. Methods This cross‐sectional study was conducted in 2025 on 602 households residing in the nine municipal districts of Tabriz. Sampling employed a multi‐stage stratified cluster method, proportional to district populations. Data were collected via a household information form covering age, sex, education, and disease types, administered through telephone interviews. Analyses were performed using SPSS software. To visualize the spatial distribution of chronic diseases, disease prevalence was calculated as the ratio of reported cases to the total number of respondents in each district, and spatial maps were produced using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Results Approximately 36% of households reported at least one member with a chronic disease. Cardiovascular diseases (18.7%) and type 2 diabetes (16.9%) exhibited the highest prevalence. District 8 showed the highest density of three major chronic disease types, whereas District 10 had the highest prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders. Household income in the 10–15 million Iranian Rials range and household sizes of 2–3 members were significantly associated with reduced odds of chronic diseases (p < 0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of chronic diseases varied across different areas of Tabriz, while household income and household size were associated with the likelihood of reporting chronic disease. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating spatial and household‐level characteristics into healthcare planning and resource allocation. However, given the cross‐sectional design of the study, the observed associations should not be interpreted as causal relationships.
SN - 2398-8835
ER -