title: Epidemiologic determinants of endometriosis among Egyptian women: a hospital-based case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advances in understanding the epidemiology of endometriosis have lagged behind other diseases because of methodological problems related to disease definition and control selection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify possible risk factors associated with the development of endometriosis among a sample of Egyptian women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was conducted in the University Maternity Hospital and some private hospitals in Alexandria. The sample included 110 cases recently diagnosed with endometriosis and 220 hospital-based, age-matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using the logistic regression analysis, nulligravidae were four times more likely to develop endometriosis than gravid women [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=4.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) (2.2-7.6)]. Short cycles were associated with approximately six times increase in risk of endometriosis [AOR=6.1, 95% CI (2.9-12.8)]. Women with irregular cycles were three times more likely to develop endometriosis than women with regular cycles [AOR=3.5, 95% CI (1.89-6.71)]. Similarly, women with a history of irritable bowel syndrome were twice as likely to develop endometriosis [AOR=1.9, 95% CI (1.03-3.87)]. Women who had one or more relatives with endometriosis were 1.2 times more likely to develop endometriosis [AOR=1.2, 95% CI (1.19-1.43)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nulliparous and women reporting short and irregular cycles were at a significantly increased risk of developing endometriosis. A weak association between reported family history of endometriosis and history of irritable bowel syndrome and the development of endometriosis was also observed. Designing and implementing health education programs about endometriosis and its related risk factors should be a priority to ensure early diagnosis of the disease.
authors.affiliation: aDivision of Maternal and Child Health, Department of Family Health, High Institute of Public Health and bDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Heba Mohamed
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Mamdouh
authors.forename: Mona Mohamed
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mortada
authors.forename: Ibrahim Fahmy
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Kharboush
authors.forename: Hisham Abd-Elfattah
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Abd-Elateef
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010298:Parity; D012307:Risk Factors