WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Maysaa M. Al Naser*, Rasha Abdullah Mohammed*, Nibras Riyadh Kadhim*

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Obesity is a growing global health concern, with over 603 million adults classified as obese in 2015. The prevalence is higher among women (≈15%) than men (≈11%), with some regions seeing rates over 30% among female adults. This rising trend necessitates studying the adverse health effects of obesity, particularly in women, who face higher risks for gynecologic cancers like endometrial and ovarian cancer. However, the link between obesity and cervical cancer remains less clear and requires further investigation. Objectives: To Examine the Association Between Overweight, Obesity, and Precancerous Lesions or Cervical Cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study investigated the association between overweight, obesity, and the presence of cervical precancerous lesions or cervical cancer in 85 married or sexually active or was sexually active women (21- 78 years) who attended Al Elwiyah Obstetric-Gynecological Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, from May 1, 2023, to December 1, 2023. Data were collected from medical records, including participants' age, age at marriage, parity, smoking status, contraceptive use, BMI, and partner relationship status. Pap smear results were categorized and matched with pathology findings. Statistical analysis involved Chi- square tests to assess the association between BMI categories (BMI ≥ 30 vs. BMI < 30 and BMI ≥ 25 vs. BMI < 25) and CIN 2/3 or negative findings. Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were calculated to determine the odds of cervical precancerous lesions or cancer in different BMI categories. The collected data were coded and entered into SPSS 22.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) by IBM) (SPSS for windows, Rel. 22.0.2016, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The categorical data were analyzed also by frequency (n) and percentage. Results: the association between BMI categories (BMI ≥ 30 and BMI < 30, BMI ≥ 25 and BMI < 25) and the presence of CIN 2/3 (precancerous lesions) or negative findings in a sample of 85 individuals. The Chi-square statistic and corresponding p- values are provided for each BMI category, indicating the strength and significance of the association between BMI and cervical health outcomes. the Odds Ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) for two BMI categories: BMI ≥ 30 and BMI ≥ 25. The OR represents the odds of having cervical precancerous lesions (CIN 2/3) or cancer associated with each BMI category compared to the reference category (BMI < 30 for the first row and BMI < 25 for the second row). The 95% CI indicates the range of values within which we can be 95% confident that the true OR lies. Conclusions: Our study did not establish a significant association between BMI ≥ 30 and CIN 2/3 compared to BMI < 30 (p = 0.25), or between BMI ≥ 25 and CIN 2/3 compared to BMI < 25 (p = 0.20). Although the odds ratio for BMI ≥ 30 indicated a moderate increase in the odds of CIN 2/3 or cancer, the wide confidence intervals due to our sample size limitations underscore the need for larger studies. These findings emphasize the importance of further research to validate the impact of obesity on cervical health outcomes and to inform more effective preventive strategies.

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