Results
Title

Effect of Multimorbidity on Old‐Age Disability Among Adults Over 50 Years Old: Evidence From a Meta‐Analysis.

Authors

Lu, Jiao; Li, Yanping; Cao, Lijing; Zhao, Heng

Abstract

This is a meta‐analysis study to assess the relationship between multimorbidity and disability among older adults over 50 years old. Population‐based studies, aged ≥ 50 years, assessing associations between multimorbidity (numbers and patterns) and disability in older adults, and reporting risk estimation with odds ratios (OR), were included. Homogeneity (I2), risk of bias, and publication bias were assessed. PROSPERO registration: 411007, and this meta‐analysis was reported in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta‐analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. Twelve studies were included. For the older adults with 2 chronic conditions and ≥ 3 chronic conditions, the ORs of disability are 2.52 (95% CI 2.30–2.76) and 3.38 (95% CI 3.05–3.75), respectively. Among three multimorbidity patterns, the combination of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases pattern (OR 8.01, 95% CI 7.60–8.44) had the highest disability incidence rate. Chronic conditions in the multimorbidity patterns of combination of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and mental health problems have an enhancement effect (1 + 1 > 2) on old‐age disability impairment, whereas those in the multimorbidity pattern of musculoskeletal disorders have a dampening effect (1 + 1 < 2). The differentiated and specific early interventions should be developed based on the different multimorbidity patterns to prevent the old‐age functional decline and disability in older adults.

Subjects

MEDICAL information storage & retrieval systems; RESEARCH funding; SEVERITY of illness index; META-analysis; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; CHRONIC diseases; SYSTEMATIC reviews; ODDS ratio; MEDLINE; MEDICAL databases; CONFIDENCE intervals; ONLINE information services; PEOPLE with disabilities; COMORBIDITY; EVALUATION; OLD age; MIDDLE age

Publication

Public Health Nursing, 2025, Vol 42, Issue 1, p524

ISSN

0737-1209

Publication type

Academic Journal

DOI

10.1111/phn.13444