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Abstract
Multimorbidity is defined as the coexistence of multiple chronic conditions in one person. It affects the way people lead their lives and might be a heavy burden, especially for those with limited material resources. This study explores the prevalence of multimorbidity in the working population and discusses the distribution of multimorbidity in specific sub-groups. We conducted a longitudinal analysis of nationally representative data in South Korea (Korea Health Panel, 2010–2015). Generalized estimation models were applied to examine the individual effect of socioeconomic status (SES) and job-related variables. We found that about five percent of workers who initially had no or one chronic condition developed multimorbidity during within five years. About 20% of working women had multimorbidity at age 55, about 10 years earlier than working men. A higher prevalence appeared in working women with school-age children, non-standard employment, no autonomy at work, or unskilled occupation. SES was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of multimorbidity in both gender after controlling for the effect of age and other covariates. Multimorbidity is a major health concern in the working population and prevention and control should be promoted in the workplace.
Highlights
Multimorbidity is defined as the presence of multiple long-term medical conditions within an individual
Since this study examined whether people who had zero or one disease at baseline developed multimorbidity in the consecutive years, the prevalence estimates did not represent the prevalence of multimorbidity among the general working population
Since we studied people who have zero or one disease at baseline and investigated whether they developed or not multimorbidity in the consecutive years, the measured prevalence did not represent the prevalence of multimorbidity in the general working population free of morbidity
Summary
Multimorbidity is defined as the presence of multiple long-term medical conditions within an individual. People with lower material resources are more likely to experience a greater burden in managing multimorbidity [1,2,3]. The working population can typically count on reduced personal and community resources (both economic resources and time availability); they experience greater difficulty in effectively managing health problems. Working with uncertainty and unpredictability of painful symptoms (e.g., arthritis) can be more stressful, or they often have greater perceived stress associated with future uncertainty, balancing out multiple roles, and difficulties psychologically accepting the impact of disease [5,6]. Smith et al explored Canadian workers and found that multimorbidity was significantly associated with increased probability of not working due to health reasons [9]
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