Prevalence of Risk Factors and Protective Factors of Breast Cancer in Yasuj City, Iran

Aims: Breast cancer with known risk factors and preventive factors is one of the most important health concerns and the most common cancer among women worldwide. This study was conducted to assess breast cancer risk factors and protective factors in women aged 20-69 years in Yasuj, Iran. Instruments & Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of 492 women aged 20-69 years were selected through systematic random sampling method. Data were collected through a demographic checklist and a checklist of potential and proven risk factors and protective factors based on textbooks and the Up To Date web site. Data analysis was performed by SPSS 16 software using descriptive statistics. Findings: The most common risk factors were overweight (41.1%), obesity (27.2%), and exposure to smoking (27.6%). Among the probably protective factors, the most frequent were breastfeeding for at least 16 months (83.5%), then the number of pregnancy≥5 (33.5%), and normal BMI after menopausal (18.5%). Conclusion: The most common risk factors and protective factors are modifiable and related to the lifestyles.