Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies.a
| Study (country of study) | Data collection period | Data source | Sample size | Age | Gender (% men) | Prevalence (%) (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afshar 2015 (28 countries) | 2003 | WHO World Health Survey | 125404 | 18+ | 48.5 | 7.8 (6.5–9.1) |
| Agborsangaya 2013 (Canada) | 2012 | Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) 2012 Patient Experience Survey | 4803 | 18+ | 44.2 | 36.1 (34.7–37.3) |
| Alaba 2013 (South Africa) | 2008 | South Africa National Income Dynamic Survey (SA-NIDS) | 11638 | 18+ | 39.0 | 4.0 (3.6–4.4) |
| Alimohammadian 2018 (Iran) | 2004–2008 | Golestan Cohort Study (GCS) | 49946 | 40–75 | 42.4 | 19.4 (19.1–19.8) |
| Amaral 2018 (Brazil) | 2010 | Population-based study | 264 | 60–102 | 39.0 | 66.3 (60.4–71.7) |
| Araujo 2018 (Brazil) | 2015 | Population-based study | 4001 | 60+ | 47.2 | 29.0 (27.6–30.5) |
| Banjare 2014 (India) | 2011–2012 | Cross-sectional survey | 310 | 60+ | 49.4 | 56.8 (51.2–62.2) |
| Buttery 2016 (Germany) | 1997–1999 | German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998 (GNHIES98) | 2884 | 50–79 | 47.6 | M: 36.1 (33.6–38.7) F: 40.5 (38.1–43.0) |
| Camargo-Casas 2018 (Colombia) | 2012 | The SABE-B study | 2000 | 60+ | 36.6 | 40.4 (38.3–42.6) |
| Chen 2018 (China) | 2011 | China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) | 3737 | 45+ | 51.9 | 45.5 (41.4–49.7) |
| Cheung 2018 (Hong Kong) | 2016–2017 | Jockey Club Community eHealth Care project | 2618 | 60+ | 47.5 | 41.8 (39.9–43.7) |
| de Carvalho 2017 (Brazil) | 2013 | National Health Survey | 60202 | 18+ | N/A | 23.6 (22.9–24.3) |
| de Souza Santos Machado 2012 (Brazil) | 2005 | Population-based study | 377 | 40–65 | Women only |
39.3 (34.5–44.3) |
| de Souza Santos Machado 2013 (Brazil) | 2011 | Population-based study | 622 | 50+ | Women only |
58.2 (54.3–62.0) |
| Dhawalni 2016 (England) | 2002–2003 | English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) | 11212 | 50+ | 46.4 | 31.7 (30.9–32.6) |
| El Lawindi 2019 (Egypt) | 2016–2017 | Community-based study | 2317 | 18–85 | 54.9 | 19.6 (18.0–21.3) |
| Fuchs 2012 (Germany) | 2008–2009 | German Health Update (GEDA) | 21262 | 18–100 | 48.5 | M: 36.3 (35.4–37.2) F: 43.9 (43.0–44.8) |
| Garin 2016 (9 countries) | 2008–2012 | WHO study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) and the Collaborative Research on Ageing in Europe (COURAGE) survey | 41909 | 50+ | 46.5 | 62.7 (55.2–70.1) |
| Ge 2018 (Singapore) | 2015–2016 | The Population Health Index Survey | 1940 | 21+ | 44.3 | 36.9 (34.7–39.0) |
| Gu 2017 (China) | 2013 | Cluster random sampling survey | 2452 | 60–93 | 51.5 | 49.4 (47.4–51.4) |
| Hameed 2015 (India) | 2013 | Community-based study | 375 | 60+ | 57.9 | 79.4 (75.1–83.3) |
| Hien 2014 (Burkina Farso) | 2012 | Cluster random sampling survey | 389 | 60+ | 55.3 | 65.0 (59.9–69.4) |
| Humphreys 2018 (UK) | 2007–2008 | The Hertfordshire Cohort study | 2299 | 64–68 | 51.0 | 43.4 (41.4–45.5) |
| Islam 2014 (Australia) | 2009 | Stratified random sampling survey | 4574 | 50+ | N/A | 52.0 (50.5–53.4) |
| Jankovic 2018 (Serbia) | 2013 | 2013 Serbian National Health Survey | 13765 | 20+ | 46.0 | 30.2 (29.4–30.9) |
| Jerliu 2013 (Kosovo) | 2011 | Nationwide cross-sectional study | 1890 | 65+ | 50.2 | 51.1 (48.8–53.3) |
| Johnston 2019 (UK) | 2001 | The Aberdeen Children of the 1950s (ACONF) | 7184 | 50+ | 47.7 | 5.4 (4.9–6.0) |
| Khanam 2011 (Bangladesh) | 2003–2004 | Poverty and Health in Ageing study | 452 | 60–92 | 45.1 | 53.7 (49.2–58.3) |
| Kiliari 2014 (Cyprus) | 2008 | Nationally based survey | 465 | N/A | 43.2 | 28.5 (24.7–32.9) |
| Kirchberger 2012 (Germany) | 2008–2009 | KORA-AGE study | 4127 | 65–94 | 48.8 | 58.6 (50.7–60.2) |
| Kshipra 2018 (India) | 2012–2013 | Cross-sectional study | 400 | 50+ | N/A | 31.0 (26.7–35.7) |
| Kumar 2015 (India) | 2012–2013 | Household survey | 55091 | N/A | 52.3 | 0.7 (0.6–0.7) |
| Lai 2019 (Hong Kong) | 1999 | Thematic Household Survey (THS) | 17229 | 35+ | 49.5 | 3.5 (3.2–3.8) |
| Laires 2019 (Portugal) | 2014 | The Portuguese National Health Interview Survey (Inquerito Nacional de Saude, INS) | 15196 | 25–79 | 44.0 | 43.9 (43.1–44.7) |
| Lalitha 2016 (India) | 2009 | Household survey | 815 | 40+ | 51.3 | 44.1 (40.6–47.5) |
| Lang 2015 (US) | 2012–2013 | EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) study | 3058 | 40–64 | Women only |
30.6 (29.0–32.3) |
| Larsen 2017 (Denmark) | 2013 | Danish National Health Survey | 162283 | 16+ | 49.0 | 39.7 (39.4–39.9) |
| Le Cossec 2016 (France) | 2008 | Disability Healthcare Household Section Survey (HSM – Enquete Handicap Sante - Menages) | 11089 | 55+ | 45.1 | M: 18.7 (17.6–19.9) F: 15.2 (14.3–16.1) |
| Li 2019 (China) | 2017 | Community-based survey | 4833 | 60+ | 45.5 | 16.1 (15.1–17.1) |
| Loprinzi 2015 (US) | 2005–2006 | 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) | 2048 | 20+ | 50.9 | 58.4 (55.3–61.5) |
| Loza 2009 (Spain) | 1999–2000 | EPISER study | 2192 | N/A | N/A | 30.0 (25.0–34.0) |
| Lujic 2017 (Australia) | 2005–2009 | 45 and up study | 90352 | 45+ | 44.3 | 37.4 (37.1–37.7) |
| Maregoni 2016 (Sweden) | 2001–2004 | Swedish National Study on Ageing and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K) | 3155 | 60+ | 35.7 | 52.4 (50.6–54.2) |
| Mini 2017 (India) | 2011 | UNFPA funded national survey | 9852 | 60+ | 47.0 | 30.7 (29.8–31.6) |
| Ninh 2015 (Vietnam) | 2010 | Population-based study | 2400 | 60+ | 34.8 | 41.6 (39.5–43.8) |
| Noguchi 2016 (Australia) | 2005–2007 | Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project (CHAMP) | 1705 | 70–99 | 100.0 | 69.3 (67.1–71.5) |
| Nunes 2016 (Brazil) | 2012 | Population-based cross-sectional study | 2927 | 20+ | 41.1 | 29.1 (27.1–31.1) |
| Nunes 2019 (Brazil) | 2015–2016 | The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSI-Brazil) | 9412 | 50+ | 46.0 | 67.8 (65.6–69.9) |
| Nunes 2015 (Brazil) | 2008 | Population-based survey | 1593 | 60+ | 37.2 | 81.3 (79.3–83.3) |
| Pache 2015 (Switzerland) | 2003–2006 | Cohorte Lausannoise (CoLaus) study | 3714 | 35–75 | 47.0 | 34.8 (33.3–36.4) |
| Park 2018 (Korea) | 2013–2014 | The sixth Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES) | 5996 | 50+ | 46.6 | 26.8 (25.7–27.9) |
| Picco 2016 (Singapore) | 2012–2013 | Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study | 2565 | 50+ | N/A | 55.4 (53.4–57.3) |
| Ramond-Roquin 2016 (Canada) | 2010 | PRECISE study | 1710 | 18+ | 48.3 | 63.8 (61.5–6.1) |
| Roberts 2015 (Canada) | 2011–2012 | Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) | 105416 | 25–75 | 40.5 | 12.9 (12.6–13.2) |
| Rodrigues 2018 (Portugal) | 2013–2015 | EpiDoc 2 study | 2393 | 65+ | 44.2 | 67.9 (66.0–9.7) |
| Romana 2019 (Portugal) | 2015 | Inquerito Nacional de Saude com Exame Fisico (INSEF) | 4911 | 25–74 | 47.5 | 38.4 (37.0–39.8) |
| Ruel 2014 (Australia) | 2000–2002 | North West Adelaide longitudinal Health Study (NWAHS) | 1854 | 20+ | 44.1 | 32.0 (30.0–4.0) |
| Ruel 2014 (China) | 2002 | Jiangsu longitudinal Nutrition Study (JIN) | 1020 | 18+ | 48.0 | 14.0 (12.0–16.3) |
| Ryan 2018 (Ireland) | 2010 | The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) | 4823 | 50+ | N/A | 53.7 (52.3–55.1) |
| Sakib 2019 (Canada) | 2015 | The Canadian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (CLSA) | 29841 | 45–64 | 49.4 | 39.6 (38.4–40.7) |
| Singh 2019 (India and Pakistan) | 2010–2011 | The Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia Surveillance Study (CARRS Surveillance Study) | 16287 | 20+ | 47.3 | 9.4 (8.7–10.1) |
| Su 2016 (China) | 2013 | Multistage cluster study | 2058 | 80+ | 42.1 | 49.2 (47.0–51.3) |
| Timmermans 2019 (the Netherlands) | 1992–1993 | The Longitudinal Ageing Study Amsterdam (LASA) | 2199 | 64–84 | 44.9 | 43.6 (41.6–45.7) |
| Valadares 2015 (Brazil) | 2012–2013 | Cross-sectional study | 736 | 45–60 | Women only |
53.0 (49.4–56.6) |
| Violan 2013 (Spain) | 2006 | Health Survey for Catalonia database 2006 | 15926 | 15+ | 49.5 | 59.6 (58.8–60.4) |
| Wang 2014 (China) | 2011 | Cross-sectional community household survey | 162464 | All | 51.4 | 11.1 (10.6–11.6) |
| Wang 2017 (Australia) | 2007 | 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing | 8841 | 16–85 | 49.7 | 28.7 (27.8–9.7) |
| Wang 2015 (China) | 2010–2011 | Confucious Hometown Aging Project (CHAP) | 1480 | 60+ | 40.6 | 90.5 (88.9–91.9) |
| Wang 2015 (China) | 2012 | Jilin Provincial chronic Disease Survey | 21435 | 18–79 | N/A | 24.7 (24.1–25.4) |
| Wong 2008 (Hong Kong, China) | N/A | Cross-sectional study | 3394 | 65+ | 56.0 | 68.0 (66.4–9.5) |
M: male; F: female; CI: confidence interval.
a Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more chronic diseases in the same individual; 95% CI as reported in original studies was presented in Table 1. Where this was not available, we used the 95% CI generated by STATA for the meta-analysis. For studies that investigated multimorbidity prevalence in several countries, the prevalence presented in Table 1 was the pooled country prevalence estimates.