Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
Abstract: (2093 Views)
Background: Osteoarthritis of the knee is a major problem and one of the most causes of disability in the elderly. Woman tending to have more frequent and more severe evidence of knee osteoarthritis. Because of the possibility, that hormonal changes may influence the disease, the present study was designed to investigate the association between pregnancies and osteoarthritis of the knee.
Methods: In a case-control study, containing 194 cases and 194 age matched controls, data were collected for body mass index (BMI) and numbers of previous pregnancies. The mean ( ±SD) values of these variables were compared by student-t test in the two groups. The association between pregnancies and osteoarthritis of the knee was estimated by adjusted odds ratio after adjusting for BMI, using multiple logistic regression models.
Results: Women with osteoarthritis of the knee had more pregnancies (7 ± 3) than control (6±3), P=0.005. There was an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis in the group with women who had more than six pregnancies (as compared with women who had six or less pregnancies), adjusted OR= 1/95, (95% confidence interval, 1.24-316, P=0.003).
Conclusion: This study indicates that having more than six pregnancies is associated with increased risk of knee osteoarthritis.