Disease Burden and the Accumulation of Multimorbidity of Noncommunicable Diseases in a Rural Population in Henan, China: Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Multimorbidity causes substantial disease and economic burdens on individuals and the health care system. Objective: This study aimed to explore the disease burden of multimorbidity and the potential correlations among chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in a rural population in Henan, China. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using the baseline survey of the Henan Rural Cohort Study. Multimorbidity was defined as the simultaneous occurrence of at least two NCDs in a participant. This study examined the multimorbidity pattern of 6 NCDs, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, stroke, and hyperuricemia. Results: From July 2015 to September 2017, a total of 38,807 participants (aged 18-79 years; 15,354 men and 23,453 women) were included in this study. The overall population prevalence of multimorbidity was 28.1% (10,899/38,807), and the multimorbidity of hypertension and dyslipidemia was the most common (8.1%, 3153/38,807). Aging, higher BMI, and unfavorable lifestyles were significantly associated with a higher risk of multimorbidity (multinomial logistic regression, all P