Regional Patterns of Multimorbidity and Hospitalization in Saskatchewan's Aging Population

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Multimorbidity is rising among older adults, impacting well-being and healthcare utilization.
• Regional variations in multimorbidity exist, but province-specific data, like in Saskatchewan, are limited.
• Understanding multimorbidity's patterns is crucial for addressing healthcare access and acute care needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map sociodemographic and geographic patterns of multimorbidity in Saskatchewan's older adult population.
• To investigate the association between multimorbidity and healthcare access, unmet needs, and acute care utilization (ED visits, hospitalizations).

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of a population-based telephone survey of 1093 Saskatchewan adults aged 65+.
• Categorization of respondents by chronic disease burden: none, one, or multimorbidity.
• Descriptive statistics and postal code-level mapping to analyze health status, access, and utilization.

Main Results:

• Multimorbidity (10.6%) was higher in older adults (75+), Indigenous respondents, and those with lower education.
• Multimorbidity correlated with poorer self-rated health, increased unmet needs, and higher rates of ED visits (20.7%) and hospitalizations (12.1%).
• Northern Saskatchewan exhibited higher multimorbidity prevalence despite smaller populations.

Conclusions:

• Significant social and spatial disparities in chronic disease burden exist among Saskatchewan's older adults.
• Findings emphasize the need for equity-focused healthcare strategies in rural and northern Saskatchewan.
• Addressing multimorbidity requires tailored approaches considering geographic and socioeconomic factors.