Chronic Disease Multimorbidity Among the Canadian Population: Prevalence and Associated Lifestyle Factors

Abstract Background and Rationale With the increasing prevalence of most chronic diseases, multimorbidity is becoming an important public health concern in the Canadian population. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of multimorbidity in the general population based on 14 major chronic diseases and examine associations with lifestyle/behavioral factors.Methods: The data source was the 2015-2016 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). The CCHS is a cross sectional, complex multi-stage survey based on information collected from 109,659 participants aged 12+, covering all provinces and territories. Multimorbidity was measured by counting the co-occurrence of two or more chronic diseases within a person. Multiple logistic regression was the primary analysis. Results: The prevalence of multimorbidity was 33%. Adjusting for sociodemographic variables, there was an increased odds of multimorbidity for those having a sedentary lifestyle (OR=1.06; CI:1.01-1.11) and being obese (OR=1.37;CI:1.32-1.43) or overweight (OR=2.65; CI: 2.54-2.76). . There were also significant interaction effects on multimorbidity,between sex and smoking, and immigration status and alcohol intake..Conclusion and Implications: Given the high prevalence of multimorbidity among the general Canadian population, policy makers and service providers should give more attention to the behavioral/lifestyle factors which significantly predicted multimorbidity. Policy and program efforts that promote a healthy lifestyle should be a priority.