Cross-sectional observational study on prevalence and pattern of multimorbidity and its impact on geriatric outpatients in a south Indian tertiary hospital.

Abstract

The global aging population is increasing rapidly, with a significant rise anticipated in individuals aged 60 years and above over the coming decades. This demographic transition is expected to amplify the burden of chronic diseases and multimorbidity, especially in low- and middle-income countries like India. This observational cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2022 to November 2024 at a tertiary care hospital in South India. A total of 541 older adults (mean age 71.56 ± 7.06 years; 280 men and 261 women) attending a geriatric outpatient clinic were enrolled. A Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) was performed to capture socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health-related variables. Hierarchical cluster analysis was utilized to identify patterns of multimorbidity and associated factors. Among 541 participants, 66.17% had multimorbidity, defined as the presence of two or more chronic conditions, with a mean of 2.39 ± 1.71 chronic conditions per participant. Hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus were the most prevalent conditions, while malignant diseases were observed in only a small proportion of participants. Polypharmacy was observed in 13.9% of the study population and was significantly more frequent among men. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified two major multimorbidity clusters, one characterized predominantly by cardiometabolic and degenerative conditions and another associated with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Statistically significant associations were observed between multimorbidity and age, sex, education, income, and dietary patterns. This study highlights a high burden of multimorbidity among geriatric outpatients in South India, with hypertension and diabetes being the most prevalent. Clear gender-specific patterns and strong associations with socio-demographic and dietary factors were identified. The findings underscore the importance of individualized, gender-sensitive, and nutrition-focused strategies in the management of multimorbidity among older adults.