Pattern and Correlates of Multimorbidity in India: Evidence from Demographic and Health Survey

Parul Puri , International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai
Ajinkya Kothavale, International Institute for Population Sciences

Objectives: The study aims to identify the socioeconomic, demographic, and lifestyle factors affecting the burden of multimorbidity among both men and women in India. Methods: The study utilizes a nationally-represented data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, 2015-16. Descriptive statistics were computed to understand the sample distribution under consideration, followed by sex stratified age-standardized prevalence rates. Additionally, two-parts models were fitted to draw inferences from the data. Results: There is a predominance of multimorbidity among women (3.36 per 100 women) as compared to men (3.25 per 100 men). The burden of multimorbidity is greatly influenced by the age of the respondent, i.e., higher the age, more is the burden. Hypertension and diabetes were more prevalent in the country, with an observed difference in the type of chronic conditions by sex. The prevalence of multimorbidity was found to be higher amongst the respondents belonging to urban areas, southern region, and economically well-off classes. Conclusions: Considering the difference in the type of chronic conditions segregated by sex, it is essential to provide personalized gender-specific healthcare facilities to the patients affected by multimorbidity.

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 Presented in Session P2. Poster Session Ageing, Health and Mortality