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Sex differences in multimorbidity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Tu Nguyen1,2, Wei Jin Wong3, Mark Woodward4,5,6,7
1The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia. TuNguyen@georgeinstitute.org.au.
BMC Public Health
|May 20, 2026
Summary
Women experience a higher prevalence of multimorbidity than men. This systematic review highlights sex differences in multimorbidity and calls for further research into contributing factors.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Sex and Gender in Medicine
Background:
- Sex and gender significantly influence the development and impact of multimorbidity.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for targeted health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize evidence on sex differences in multimorbidity prevalence, risk factors, patterns, and health outcomes.
- To quantify the prevalence of multimorbidity in women versus men.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of Ovid Medline and Embase until June 2025.
- Inclusion of studies reporting sex-disaggregated data on multimorbidity.
- Meta-analysis to pool prevalence estimates and quantify sex differentials using women-to-men ratios.
Main Results:
- The review included 37 studies with over 5.8 million individuals (60% women).
- Pooled multimorbidity prevalence was higher in women (0.45) than men (0.39), with a prevalence ratio of 1.12.
- Limited data were available on sex differences in risk factors, patterns, and health impacts of multimorbidity.
Conclusions:
- Women exhibit a higher prevalence of multimorbidity compared to men.
- The higher likelihood of multimorbidity in women is multifactorial, necessitating further investigation.
- This underscores the need for sex-specific research in multimorbidity.
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