Vulnerable Household Women's Health Assessment Trial (VH-WHAT): Protocol Design and Implementation

Women health status has always been one of the major health concerns particularly in developing countries. This study was undertaken to determine the design and implementation of Vulnerable Household Women’s Health Assessment Trial (VH-WHAT) protocol in Iran. The VH-WHAT was conducted in 11 province capitals during a 2 year period from 2007 to 2009 in urban populations. 2730 household women (mean age= 47.6±10.2 years, range=22-88 years) underwent a thorough physical examination including breast exam which revealed abnormal findings such as palpable masses (0.4%) of whom 0.1% had bilateral, 0.2% right breast and 0.1% left palpable masses. Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) was performed in 0.1% of cases showing benign cystic lesions. 0.1% demonstrated signs of malignancies and were further referred to consulting specialists for follow-ups and procedures such as mastectomy or chemotherapy based on the stage of the disease. Considering the special characteristics of the population of this trial we hope that based on the results and analysis of the collected data in this study more appropriate interventions and more suitable models will be implemented for these susceptible groups.