Differences Between Younger and Older US Adults With Multiple Chronic Conditions.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Gerontology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) represent a significant burden on US healthcare costs.
• While MCC prevalence increases with age, most individuals with MCCs are of working age.
• Understanding disparities between younger and older adults with MCCs is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare working-age adults (<65 years) with MCCs to older adults (≥65 years) with MCCs.
• To identify differences in health status, quality of life, disability, healthcare access, and modifiable risk factors.
• To inform strategies aimed at reducing healthcare expenditures associated with MCCs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N=201,711).
• Compared adults <65 years with MCCs to adults ≥65 years with MCCs.
• Analyzed up to 12 chronic conditions, quality of life, disability, healthcare access, and modifiable risk factors.

Main Results:

• Over 60% of adults with MCCs were younger than 65 years.
• Working-age adults with MCCs reported higher rates of asthma, cognitive impairment, and depression.
• Younger adults with MCCs were more likely to experience poorer healthcare access, disability, and worse quality of life.

Conclusions:

• Adults younger than 65 with MCCs require timely treatment to prevent disease progression.
• Interventions should focus on improving health status and reducing healthcare costs for all individuals with MCCs.
• Addressing the needs of working-age adults with MCCs is essential for overall healthcare cost reduction.