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Multimorbidity among elderly in Bangladesh
Hasna Hena Sara1, Muhammad Abdul Baker Chowdhury2, Md Aminul Haque1
1Department of Population Sciences University of Dhaka Dhaka Bangladesh.
Insights
Over half of hospitalized elderly individuals in Bangladesh experience multimorbidity, with higher rates in women. This highlights an urgent need for specialized geriatric care services and targeted interventions to manage multiple chronic diseases.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Multimorbidity, defined as having at least two chronic diseases, is a growing concern in aging populations, particularly in developing nations like Bangladesh.
- The prevalence of multimorbidity among the elderly in Bangladesh remains understudied, despite the increasing elderly population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of multimorbidity in hospitalized elderly individuals in Bangladesh.
- To identify common co-occurring chronic conditions in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 566 adults aged 60 years and above admitted to two tertiary hospitals.
- Data collection involved in-person interviews using a semi-structured schedule and review of medical examination reports.
- Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the prevalence of multimorbidity.
Main Results:
- The overall prevalence of multimorbidity among hospitalized elderly was 56.4%.
- Females exhibited a higher prevalence (64.18%) compared to males (54.17%).
- The most frequently observed conditions included hypertension (33.0%), diabetes (27.6%), ischemic heart disease (12.0%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (9%).
Conclusions:
- The high prevalence of multimorbidity underscores the critical need for enhanced geriatric healthcare services in Bangladesh.
- Policymakers must prioritize the development of effective intervention strategies and programs to alleviate the burden of multiple chronic diseases in the elderly population.
Background:
Multimorbidity among the elderly is a major public health problem in most of the developing countries, including Bangladesh, where the population is moving towards aging. Multimorbidity was defined as the co-occurrence of at least two chronic diseases in a person whether as a coincidence or not. Little attention has been paid to the study of the prevalence of multimorbidity among the elderly in Bangladesh.
Objective:
The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of multimorbidity among hospitalized elderly.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary level hospitals with a sample of 566 adults aged 60 years or more. Data were collected from medical examination reports at the hospital and using a semi-structured interview schedule through an in-person interview. Descriptive statistics were used to measure the prevalence of multimorbidity.
Results:
The overall prevalence of multimorbidity among the elderly was 56.4% and the prevalence was higher among females (64.18%) than males (54.17%). The most prevalent conditions were hypertension (33.0%), diabetes (27.6%), ischemic heart disease (12.0%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (9%).
Conclusion:
A high prevalence of multimorbidity suggests that there is an urgent need to develop geriatric health-care services. Policymakers should pay attention to developing effective intervention strategies and programs to reduce the burden of multimorbidity.
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