Multimorbity in brazilian elderly and the relationship with the use of health services

Abstract

The presence of multimorbidity is considered a public health problem, responsible for a great pressure on health services. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of multimorbidity and its association to the use of health services by Brazilian elderly people. Method: A cross-sectional, quantitative study with population-based survey data (PNS-2013). The sample consisted of 11,177 Brazilians aged 60 years or older. Multimorbidity was considered as a dependent variable and the use of health services as independent. The results were analyzed by the chi-square test. The sample consisted mostly of individuals aged among 60 and 69 years (55.8%), men (59.2%), white (47.5%), married (43.0%), who studied up to primary education (37.6%) and with an income of less than 1 minimum wage (45.5%). The prevalence of multimorbidity was 46.9%. Elderly people with multimorbidity used health services significantly more, having attended 4 or more medical appointments (p<0.001), required hospitalization (p<0.001) and needed emergency care at home (p<0.001). Brazilian elderly people have a high prevalence of multimorbidity and this condition significantly affects the demand for health services, whether primary and secondary, such as medical consultations and emergency and tertiary care, such as hospitalization.