Maria Kyprianidou
Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Title: The prevalence of multi-morbidity in Cyprus; A cross-sectional study
Biography
Biography: Maria Kyprianidou
Abstract
Introduction: Multi-morbidity is defined as the co-existence of two or more chronic conditions. As the average life expectancy is increasing worldwide so does the prevalence of multi-morbidity.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of multi-morbidity in the general adult population of Cyprus as well as to identify the most common diseases and its combinations.
Methods: The referent population was the general adult population of Cyprus. A representative sample of n=1143 individuals, 18-94 years old was surveyed during 2018-2019. Demographic characteristics, chronic clinical and mental conditions were collected through a validated questionnaire. Chronic conditions were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11).
Results: We estimated that 25.81% of the participants had multi-morbidity and the rates increased according to age (p for trend <0.001); the highest prevalence was among people aged 65+, i.e., 68.89%. The prevalence of multimorbidity was higher in females than males (28.19% vs. 22.78%, p=0.039) and similarly among residents of urban vs. rural regions (26.53% vs. 23.79%, p=0.371). The most prevalent chronic diseases were hypercholesteremia (17.90%), followed by hypertension (13.27%), thyroid diseases (8.80%) and gastric reflux (7.83%), while the most common combinations were diseases of circulatory (63.5%) and endocrine system (67.7%).
Conclusion: The significant proportion of Cypriots who has multi-morbidity, even from the younger ages, underlines the emerge need of prevention strategies and relevant programs for the entire population.
