Skip to main content

Table 3 Prevalence of MM according to different definitions and the participants’ characteristics

From: Measuring multimorbidity in older adults: comparing different data sources

Study sample (n = 1625)

Multimorbidity

Cut-off 2+

Cut-off 3+

MM2_SR

MM2_Adm

MM2_either

MM3_SR

MM3_Adm

MM3_either

86.7% (n = 1409)

81.8% (n = 1330)

95.9% (n = 1558)

72.9% (n = 1184)

61.9% (n = 1006)

89.2% (n = 1449)

Relative % difference

5.6%

15.1%

Relative % increase

10.6%

22.4%

Cochran’s Q test

220.95 p < .001

483.24 p < .001

Gender

 M

83.2%

81.8%

95.0%

69.2%

61.4%

87.2%

 F

89.4%

81.9%

96.5%

75.7%

62.3%

90.7%

 

p < 0.001

p = 0.980

p = 0.133

p = 0.003

p = 0.693

p = 0.027

Age groups

 65–69

80.6%

77.8%

93.0%

66.9%

54.1%

83.1%

 70–74

89.3%

81.4%

95.7%

74.3%

62.3%

91.1%

 75–79

89.5%

85.6%

98.5%

77.2%

67.1%

92.2%

 80–84

89.2%

86.5%

98.4%

75.7%

69.7%

95.1%

 85–89

92.9%

85.7%

98.6%

77.1%

71.4%

91.4%

 90 and +

100.0%

80.0%

100.0%

90.0%

70.0%

90.0%

 

p = 0.001

p = 0.033

p = 0.003

p = 0.006

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

Education (in years)

 < 7

90,0%

84.6%

97.3%

79,0%

69.4%

91.9%

 8–12

87.1%

81.4%

95.8%

72.7%

59.4%

89.9%

 ≥ 13

83.5%

80.3%

94.8%

68.1%

59.4%

85.9%

 

p = 0.014

p = 0.221

p = 0.169

p = 0.001

p = 0.001

p = 0.009

Income

 0–25,000

90.8%

83.2%

96.9%

80.4%

65.4%

93.2%

  ≥ 25,000

84.6%

81.1%

95.3%

69.0%

60.1%

87.1%

 

p < 0.001

p = 0.293

p = 0.122

p < 0.001

p = 0.037

p < 0.001

Marital status

 With partner

84.6%

82.2%

95.2%

70.8%

61.4%

87.7%

 Without

90.4%

81.2%

97.0%

76.5%

62.9%

91.8%

 

p = 0.001

p = 0.595

p = 0.091

p = 0.013

p = 0.549

p = 0.011

Perceived mental health

 Excellent/very good

83.5%

79.5%

95,0%

68.2%

58.8%

86.9%

 Good

93.1%

87,0%

97.7%

81.8%

68.5%

93.9%

 Fair/poor

97.1%

88.5%

99,0%

89.4%

71.2%

96.2%

 

p < 0.001

p = 0.001

p = 0.012

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

Perceived physical health

 Excellent/very good

79.2%

75.8%

93.5%

60.8%

52.3%

83.8%

 Good

94.8%

87.2%

98.5%

83.8%

68.7%

94.2%

 Fair/poor

97.7%

93.1%

99.2%

94.6%

82.7%

98.5%

 

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

Smoking

 Never

85.9%

79.5%

95.3%

69.2%

58,0%

88.5%

 Former

86.5%

83.8%

96.2%

75.0%

65.4%

89.4%

 Current

91.4%

80.0%

96.4%

75.7%

57.9%

90.7%

 

p = 0.212

p = 0.096

p = 0.646

p = 0.031

p = 0.009

p = 0.702

Social support (mean ± SD)

2.82 (0.51)a

2.83 (0.48)a

2.82 (0.51)a

2.80 (0.53)a

2.82 (0.51)a

2.82 (0.52)a

 

p = 0.221

p = 0.259

p = 0.959

p = 0.004

p = 0.483

p = 0.035

Number of outpatient visits (mean ± SD)

27.04 (23.48)a

28.58 (23.63)a

26.28 (22.83)a

28.84 (24.61)a

32.21 (25.42)a

27.31 (23.24)a

 

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

Number of ED visits (mean ± SD)

1.36 (2.18)a

1.44 (2.21)a

1.30 (2.11)a

1.47 (2.28)a

1.72 (2.41)a

1.37 (2.17)a

 

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

Number of hospitalizations (mean ± SD)

0.49 (1.04)a

0.52 (1.06)a

0.46 (1.01)a

0.53 (1.10)a

0.65 (1.18)a

0.48 (1.03)a

 

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p = 0.003

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

  1. Abbreviations: ED Emergency department, MM Multimorbidity, SD Standard deviation
  2. aCompared to those without MM (any definition)