Global multimorbidity: a cross-sectional study of 28 countries using the World Health Surveys, 2003

Abstract

Background: Multimorbidity defined as the "the coexistence of two or more chronic diseases" in one individual, is increasing in prevalence globally. The aim of this study is to compare the prevalence of multimorbidity across low and middle-income countries (LMICs), and to investigate patterns by age and education, as a proxy for socioeconomic status (SES).