MULTIMORBIDITY, or living with two or more chronic conditions, is more likely among those with risk factors, such as poor diet and smoking, according to a new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report.

The report estimated that almost four in 10 Australians, or 9.7 million people, were living with multimorbidity in 2022.

“Multimorbidity is more common among people with more risk factors, which include smoking, high blood pressure, insufficient physical activity, not eating a healthy diet and living with overweight or obesity,” said AIHW spokesperson Amy Young.

“Among adults with four or more risk factors, 59% were living with multimorbidity compared with 29% of people with no risk factors,” she continued.

“Some of the risk factors are preventable and modifying them can reduce an individual’s risk of developing a chronic disease and lead to improved health outcomes,” she pointed out.

The most common pair of co-occurring conditions among people of all ages were anxiety and depression, affecting around 9.3% of the population, followed by anxiety and back problems (5.3%), then back problems and depression (4%).

Among those aged under 15 years, an estimated 11% were living with multimorbidity, with ADHD and autism featuring in younger age groups.

Meanwhile, an estimated 79% of those aged 85-plus lived with multimorbidity, with conditions like back problems, osteoarthritis and hearing loss featuring more with increasing age.

“Those living with multimorbidity often have more complex health needs and report poorer overall quality of life,” Young said.

“This makes preventing and managing multimorbidity an important focus for individuals, the health system and society as a whole,” she concluded. KB

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