Abstract
Data on multimorbidity among the elderly people in Bangladesh are lacking. This paper reports the prevalence and distribution patterns of multimorbidity among the elderly people in rural Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted among persons aged > or = 60 years in Matlab, Bangladesh. Information on their demographics and literacy was collected through interview in the home. Information about their assets was obtained from a surveillance database. Physicians conducted clinical examinations at a local health centre. Two physicians diagnosed medical conditions, and two senior geriatricians then evaluated the same separately. Multimorbidity was defined as suffering from two or more of nine chronic medical conditions, such as arthritis, stroke, obesity, signs of thyroid hypofunction, obstructive pulmonary symptoms, symptoms of heart failure, impaired vision, hearing impairment, and high blood pressure. The overall prevalence of multimorbidity among the study population was 53.8%, and it was significantly higher among women, illiterates, persons who were single, and persons in the non-poorest quintile. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, female sex and belonging to the non-poorest quintile were independently associated with an increased odds ratio of multimorbidity. The results suggest that the prevalence of multimorbidity is high among the elderly people in rural Bangladesh. Women and the non-poorest group of the elderly people are more likely than men and the poorest people to be affected by multimorbidity. The study sheds new light on the need of primary care for the elderly people with multimorbidity in rural Bangladesh.
Highlights
It is projected that, by 2020, there will be one billion elderly persons (≥65 years) in the world, 71% of whom will live in low-income countries [1]
The prevalence of multimorbidity was significantly higher among women than among men, among illiterate than among literate persons, among persons who belonged to the non-poorest quintiles than among the poorest quintile, and significantly higher among single than among married persons (Table 1)
We found that the overall prevalence of multimorbidity was 53.8% among the elderly people and
Summary
By 2020, there will be one billion elderly persons (≥65 years) in the world, 71% of whom will live in low-income countries [1]. The number of elderly persons in Bangladesh was projected to double from 7.8 million in 2001 to 16.2 million by 2025 [2]. The fact that more and more people are reaching their older adulthood has resulted in a change in the disease pattern such that chronic medical conditions have become prominent in low-income populations. Chronic health conditions are common in elderly persons, and the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions is expected to increase [5]. By nature, will accumulate with ageing and present as multiple morbidities. Multimorbidity among elderly people in rural Bangladesh
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