Co-morbidity patterns of chronic diseases among the elderly in China and suggestions for health management strategies
10.3760/cma.j.cn115624-20241114-00919
- VernacularTitle:我国老年人慢性病共病模式及健康管理策略建议
- Author:
Yanfang ZHAO
1
;
Xuebiao WANG
;
Yuan ZOU
;
Hua YAO
Author Information
1. 新疆医科大学第一附属医院健康管理学院（中心），乌鲁木齐 830011
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Aged;
Chronic disease;
Comorbidity pattern;
Risk factors;
Health management;
Health promotion
- From:
Chinese Journal of Health Management
2025;19(1):8-13
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To analyze the co-morbidity patterns of chronic diseases among the elderly in China and provide suggestions for health management strategies.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. A total of 9 383 respondents aged ≥60 years with complete data of key variables (chronic disease status, age, gender, marital status, etc.) in the 2020 China Health and Aged Care Tracking Survey (CHARLS) dataset were selected as study subjects. Systematic clustering was used to analyze the pattern of multimorbidity among urban and rural elderly, and probit model was used to analyze the relevant factors associated with the risk of multimorbidity in order to provide suggestions for health management strategies.Results:There were similarities in the multimorbidity patterns of chronic diseases among the elderly in both urban and rural areas in China, including emotional and mental problems, Parkinson′s disease and malignant tumors such as cancer as a group of psychosomatic and neurodegenerative disease pattern, and stroke, asthma and liver disease as a group of inflammatory response disease pattern. However, there were differences, with dyslipidemia clustered as a separate group among the urban elderly, and memory-related diseases with diabetes or elevated blood glucose, chronic lung disease and kidney disease clustered as another group; and in rural elderly, gastric or digestive disorders were clustered with memory-related disorders, diabetes or elevated blood glucose, chronic lung disease, and kidney disease. Registered residence in rural areas ( Z=-0.530), and heavy physical activity (Z=-0.024) were negatively with the risk of multimorbidity. Age ( Z=0.037), alcohol consumption ( Z=0.037), smoking ( Z=0.042), depression score ( Z=0.130), and length of sleep ( Z=0.027) were positively correlated with the risk of multimorbidity (all P<0.05), with domicile location being the most strongly associated factor, and depression score being the second one. Conclusion:The pattern of chronic disease co-morbidity among the elderly in China differs between urban and rural areas. It is recommended that targeted chronic disease management strategies should be developed based on the characteristics of chronic disease co-morbidity among the elderly in urban and rural areas in China to improve the effectiveness of chronic disease co-morbidity prevention and management.
