Examining multimorbidity among middle-aged Canadians

Abstract

Multimorbidity is often considered a health problem of older people, but recent research shows that it is also prevalent among younger people. This thesis aimed to examine various aspects of multimorbidity among middle-aged people (45–64 years) using Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging baseline data. In the first manuscript, the prevalence of multimorbidity and its association with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were examined. The prevalence of multimorbidity, defined as the coexisting three or more chronic conditions, was high among middle-aged people (39.59%). Multivariate logistic regression showed that being older, female and low income were associated with multimorbidity. Alcohol intake was found to be protective against multimorbidity. In the second manuscript, the association between multimorbidity and labour force participation was examined. Multivariate logistic regression showed that multimorbidity was associated with being retired and unemployed, but not the number of hours worked. This thesis showed that multimorbidity is prevalent among middle-aged people. Preventive strategies targeted at this age group may prevent the negative consequences of multimorbidity.