Abstract
Knowledge on the occurrence of multimorbidity is important from the viewpoint of public policies, as this condition increases the consumption of medicines as well as the utilization and expenses of health services, affecting life quality of the population. The objective of this study was to estimate prevalence of self-reported multimorbidity in Brazilian adults (≥18 years old) according to socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. A descriptive study is presented herein, based on data from the National Health Survey, which was a household-based survey carried out in Brazil in 2013. Data on 60,202 adult participants over the age of 18 were included. Prevalences and its respective confidence intervals (95%) were estimated according to sex, age, education level, marital status, self-reported skin color, area of residence, occupation and federative units (states). Poisson regression models univariate and multivariate were used to evaluate the association between socioeconomic and demographic variables with multimorbidity. To observe the combinations of chronic conditions the most common groups in pairs, trios, quartets and quintets of chronic diseases were observed. The prevalence of multimorbidity was 23.6% and was higher among women, in individuals over 60 years of age, people with low educational levels, people living with partner, in urban areas and among unemployed persons. The states of the South and Southeast regions presented higher prevalence. The most common groups of chronic diseases were metabolic and musculoskeletal diseases. The results demonstrated high prevalence of multimorbidity in Brazil. The study also revealed that a considerable share of the economically active population presented two or more chronic diseases. Data of this research indicated that socioeconomic and demographic aspects must be considered during the planning of health services and development of prevention and treatment strategies for chronic diseases, and consequently, multimorbidity.
Highlights
Developing countries currently experience an epidemiological transition, with declines in infectious diseases and constant increases in non-communicable diseases (NCD)
The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of multimorbidity in the Brazilian adult population according to socioeconomic and demographic characteristics
The prevalence of interviewees that reported no diagnosis of chronic diseases was 52.0% and those that reported one chronic disease were 24.3%
Summary
Developing countries currently experience an epidemiological transition, with declines in infectious diseases and constant increases in non-communicable diseases (NCD). NCD are among the main global causes of death, with examples such as cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms, mental disorders and diabetes[1]. In Brazil, extended longevity has increased the prevalence of these diseases, which can cause functional dependence and require repetitive hospitalizations[2]. A chronic disease is a disease that persists throughout a period above three months, and remains during a long life period, such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and cancer [4,5]. Chronic diseases are characterized by a long lasting period, necessity of continuous medical treatment, severe impact on the affected individual, besides presenting high prevalence in older age groups [6]
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