Abstract
BackgroundStudies on the prevalence of multimorbidity, defined as having two or more chronic conditions, have predominantly focused on the elderly. We estimated the prevalence and specific patterns of multimorbidity across different adult age groups. Furthermore, we examined the associations of multimorbidity with socio-demographic factors.MethodsUsing data from the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) 2010 Patient Experience Survey, the prevalence of self reported multimorbidity was assessed by telephone interview among a sample of 5010 adults (18 years and over) from the general population. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between a range of socio-demographic factors and multimorbidity.ResultsThe overall age- and sex-standardized prevalence of multimorbidity was 19.0% in the surveyed general population. Of those with multimorbidity, 70.2% were aged less than 65 years. The most common pairing of chronic conditions was chronic pain and arthritis. Age, sex, income and family structure were independently associated with multimorbidity.ConclusionsMultimorbidity is a common occurrence in the general adult population, and is not limited to the elderly. Future prevention programs and practice guidelines should take into account the common patterns of multimorbidity.
Highlights
Studies on the prevalence of multimorbidity, defined as having two or more chronic conditions, have predominantly focused on the elderly
As in other industrialized countries, Canadian healthcare delivery is typically guided by clinical practice guidelines that are oriented towards single-diseases [3]
Thirty (0.6%) respondents were excluded from the analysis due to missing chronic conditions data, leaving a sample of 4980 respondents in this study (Table 1)
Summary
Studies on the prevalence of multimorbidity, defined as having two or more chronic conditions, have predominantly focused on the elderly. As in other industrialized countries, Canadian healthcare delivery is typically guided by clinical practice guidelines that are oriented towards single-diseases [3] This poses a challenge for primary care professionals who try to implement evidence from these guidelines in caring for patients with multimorbidity. The Public Health Agency of Canada has recently expanded the model from the NDSS to provide surveillance data on other conditions under the umbrella of the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS), but this approach still retains the single disease focused model, with some attention to relevant comorbidities. Given a common set of shared risk factors (e.g., smoking, obesity, physical activity), multimorbidity surveillance may be more appropriate to evaluate the efficiency of more general or broader public health interventions
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