Differences by Sex in the Presentation of Multimorbidity: Longitudinal Study in Mexican Adults Living in the Community,2001–2018

Abstract

Background:

Multimorbidity represents a challenge for public health because as populations age, its prevalence increases. The objectives were to describe by sex the multimorbidity patterns from 2001 to 2018 in a cohort of people ≥50 years and in a subcohort with multimorbidity to describe the trajectories and transitions.

Materials and Methods:

Secondary analysis of the cohort of adults ≥50 years in the Mexican Health and Aging Study. Sociodemographic, health, functionality, and mortality were analyzed. Descriptive analysis was performed, estimation of prevalence by sex and trajectories, and transitions of the multimorbidity patterns with alluvial diagrams.

Results:

In the full cohort, 53.3% were women and in the subcohort with multimorbidity 66.1%. In both sexes, more cases with multimorbidity were observed among people without schooling, without a job, with a fair or bad economic situation, and with fair or bad self-perception of their health. The chronic diseases (CDs) with the highest prevalence were diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), and arthritis and the most prevalent multimorbidity patterns were HT+arthritis and DM+HT. Higher proportion of men transited early to death and the women to other patterns more complex.

Conclusion:

Women always had higher prevalence of multimorbidity from an early age and with more complex combinations of CDs, but men with multimorbidity died prematurely. It is important to analyze multimorbidity not only from a biological approach but also from a perspective that considers sex inequalities and allows for the development of specific interventions adapted to the particular needs of men and women.