Prevalence, pattern, and correlates of multimorbidity among adult and old aged women in India

Abstract

Problem considered: The health outcome of women is generally poor in India. Women are suffering from various chronic illness. So, this study seeks to assess the prevalence, pattern and correlates of multimorbidity among adult and old aged women in India. Methods: The study used data from the second wave of the Study on Global AGEing and adult health (SAGE), conducted in 2015. The study employed cross-tabulation, Pearson’s chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess the prevalence and correlates of multimorbidity among adult and old aged women in India. Results: The prevalence of multimorbidity among the women was 47.69%. The prevalence of back pain was highest among adult (18-59 years) and old-aged (60+ years) women. The risk of having multimorbidity significantly increases with age. Our study confirmed that all the 16 isolated chronic morbidities have considerable coherence with the types of multimorbidity. Variables like age, education, work status, perceived loneliness, and self-rated health were associated with multimorbidity. Conclusions: The study suggests that the concern of multimorbidity among women in India should be prioritized with an integrated co-management approach in all diseases-specific programs to reduce and prevent the health burden in the country.

Keywords

• Chronic morbidity
• Multimorbidity
• WHO-SAGE
• Women