Determinants of Multimorbidity in a Low-Resource Setting: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh.

Multimorbidity is a complex and highly prevalent health condition characterised by the coexistence of two or more chronic diseases within an individual. It is a growing public health issue worldwide, predominantly in low-resource countries like Bangladesh. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of multimorbidity among the adult population in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 504 respondents who were 18 years or older. The generalised linear mixed model was used to identify the risk factors. Among the respondents, 65.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 61.0 to 69.3) had multimorbidity. The most common chronic conditions were allergic disorder (34%, 95% CI: 30 to 39), gastritis (31%, 95% CI: 27 to 35), low back pain (28.4%, 95% CI: 24.6 to 32.5), oral diseases (27%, 95% CI: 23 to 29) and arthritis (21%, 95% CI: 18 to 25). Middle-aged adults (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 7.97; 95% CI: 3.35 to 18.92) and older adults (AOR = 8.44; 95% CI: 1.90 to 36.64) had significantly higher odds of multimorbidity than young adults. Employed respondents had an 86% (AOR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.36) lower odds of multimorbidity than non-working individuals. Higher sleeping duration (6 to 8 h: AOR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.25 to 0.80; 8 to 10 h: AOR = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.60), regular vegetable consumption (AOR = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.80) and adequate water intake (AOR = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.79) were protective factors against multimorbidity, whereas obesity increased the odds (AOR = 3.32; 95% CI: 1.06 to 10.43). These findings emphasise the need to promote healthy lifestyle habits, such as maintaining a balanced diet, staying hydrated and engaging in regular physical exercise, to reduce the burden of multimorbidity in low-resource settings.