Morbidity Among the Aging Population in Northern Bangladesh: An Epidemiological Study

Morbidity is a prevalent public health issue especially among the aging population worldwide. As the risks of morbidity increase with age, aging populations increasingly become a socioeconomic burden on their families. However, studies on morbidity among aging populations in Bangladesh remain limited and under-documented. This study aims to determine the prevalence of morbidity and identify the associated factors among aging populations in Northern Bangladesh.

The cross-sectional study was conducted in the northern part of Bangladesh. Data were collected from 540 aging people; they were selected using multistage random sampling. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by 12 trained interviewers for collecting data, and it was done from June 5, 2022 to August 18, 2022. The outcome variable morbidity was measured by a question, "are you suffering from chronic diseases?" Based on the answer, the respondents were classified into three classes; (i) did not have any disease (0 = No), (ii) having only one disease (1 = single), and (iii) having more than one disease (2 = morbidity). Finally, (iii) was considered as morbidity (Yes, code 1), and (i) and (ii) together were considered did not have morbidity (No, code 0). According to the objectives of the study, we used descriptive statistics, the χ ² test, and multivariate logistic regression to determine the prevalence and to assess the factors influencing morbidity respectively.

The study revealed that the prevalence of morbidity was found 75.74% [95% CI: 0.719-0.793] among people. The significantly associated factors of morbidity included being male [AOR = 1.717; 95% CI = 1.109-2.657; p = 0.015], living in a rural area [AOR = 1.758; 95% CI = 1.082-2.856; p = 0.023], age above 70 [AOR = 1.926; 95% CI = 1.178-3.150; p = 0.009], having prior disability [AOR = 1.932; 95% CI = 1.126-3.315; p = 0.017], being underweight [AOR = 4.045; 95% CI = 1.568-10.438; p = 0.004], and overweight [AOR = 1.957; 95% CI = 1.223-3.132; p = 0.005].

Morbidity is highly prevalent among aging populations, with over nourished individuals aged 70 and above, particularly those living in rural areas, being the most significantly affected. Targeted interventions should focus on improving nutritional status and raising awareness, particularly in rural areas, to help reduce the burden of morbidity among aging populations.