Table 1.
Sociodemographic Features of the Study Participants
| Sociodemographic variables | Cases n = 112 | Controls n = 222 | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | N (%) | |||
| Educational level | Illiterate | 2 (1.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0.013 |
| Primary school | 6 (5.4) | 8 (3.6) | ||
| Middle school (preparatory) | 18 (16.1) | 30 (13.5) | ||
| High school certificate (secondary) | 51 (45.5) | 81 (36.5) | ||
| Intermediate post high school diploma | 11 (9.8) | 13 (5.9) | ||
| Graduation (Bachelor's) Professional degree | 22 (19.6) | 85 (38.3) | ||
| Master’s and above | 2 (1.8) | 5 (2.3) | ||
| Marital status | Single | 10 (8.9) | 16 (7.2) | 0.694 |
| Married | 97 (86.6) | 191 (86.0) | ||
| Divorced | 3 (2.7) | 6 (2.7) | ||
| Widow | 2 (1.8) | 9 (4.1) | ||
| Age at Menarche | 9 years or younger | 0 (0.0) | 2 (0.9) | 0.602 |
| 10-14 years | 91 (81.3) | 179 (80.6) | ||
| More than 14 years | 21 (18.8) | 41 (18.5) | ||
| Gravidity | None | 16 (14.3) | 31 (14.0) | 0.815 |
| One | 3 (2.7) | 9 (4.1) | ||
| Two | 5 (4.5) | 15 (6.8) | ||
| Three | 13 (11.6) | 20 (9.0) | ||
| Four or more | 75 (67.0) | 147 (66.2) | ||
| Parity | Nulliparous | 20 (17.9) | 33 (14.9) | 0.863 |
| 1-2 | 14 (12.5) | 25 (11.3) | ||
| 3-5 | 36 (32.1) | 78 (35.1) | ||
| >5 | 42 (37.5) | 86 (38.7) | ||
| Age at first delivery | Never | 13 (11.6) | 28 (12.6) | 0.047 |
| ≤18 | 23 (20.5) | 55 (24.8) | ||
| 19-25 | 56 (50.0) | 122 (55.0) | ||
| >25 | 20 (17.9) | 17 (7.7) | ||
| Menopausal status | Premenopausal | 71 (63.4) | 178 (80.2) | £ 0.001 |
| Postmenopausal | 41 (36.6) | 44 (19.8) | ||
| OC use | No | 86 (76.8) | 173 (77.9) | 0.813 |
| Yes, previously | 26 (23.2) | 49 (22.1) | ||
| HRT use | No | 106 (94.6) | 210 (94.6) | 0.985 |
| Yes, previously | 6 (5.4) | 12 (5.4) | ||
| Cigarette smoking | Yes, current smoker | 2 (1.8) | 2 (0.9) | 0.344 |
| Passive smoking | 37 (33.0) | 55 (24.8) | ||
| No | 71 (63.4) | 159 (71.6) | ||
| Nargileh | 2 (1.8) | 6 (2.7) | ||
| First-degree relatives for BC | No | 97 (86.6) | 207 (93.2) | 0.045 |
| Yes | 15 (13.4) | 15 (6.8) | ||
| Physical activity | Low | 66 (58.9) | 99 (44.6) | 0.014 |
| Moderate | 45 (40.2) | 111 (50.0) | ||
| High | 1 (0.9) | 12 (5.4) | ||
| BMI category | Underweight | 0 (0.0) | 3 (1.4) | 0.624 |
| Normal | 22 (19.6) | 54 (24.3) | ||
| Overweight | 36 (32.1) | 72 (32.4) | ||
| Obesity Class I | 34 (30.4) | 60 (27.0) | ||
| Obesity Class II | 14 (12.5) | 26 (11.7) | ||
| Obesity Class III | 6 (5.4) | 7 (3.2) | ||
N, Frequency; BC, Breast Cancer; OC, Oral contraceptives; HRT, Hormone replacement therapy; BMI, Body mass index; P ≤ 0.05, Significant.