Epidemiology of the Incidence, Prevalence, and Mortality of Thalassemia in Iran: A Secondary Analysis of Global Burden of Disease 2019

Abstract

Background and Aims: Compared to other regions, Iran is one of the countries where the prevalence of thalassemia is higher. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the epidemiology of the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of thalassemia in Iran. Methods: The present study is a correlation analysis. Age-standardized data on incidence, mortality, and prevalence per 100,000 populations for thalassemia in Iran were extracted from the World Burden of Disease 2019 website. ArcGIS version 10.8 was also used to draw the types of zoning. Pearson correlation tests have been used to investigate the relationship between these indicators and the human development index. Data analysis was conducted using Stata-14 at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The results have indicated that the rate of change in mortality in 2019 was negative compared to that of 2010, indicating a decrease in the mortality rate of this disease for both males and females. The highest death rate from thalassemia disease in both genders was related to age groups less than 5 years old. The results showed that there is a negative and significant correlation between the incidence rate and the human development index (p < 0.0001, r = 0.9). However, no significant correlation was observed between the human development index and the death rate of thalassemia (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Considering the distribution of the disease in the country, prevention of new cases is the best way to control this disease. The attention of the health policy makers to reduce the incidence rate by improving the cultural, social, and economic conditions in many regions of the country will help the prevention of the incidence of the disease. Public education, genetic counseling, and pre-pregnancy care can play a significant role in controlling the disease.