RESEARCH ARTICLE Prevalence and Patterns of Chronic Disease Pairs and Multimorbidity among Older Chinese Adults Living in a Rural Area

Background The burden of chronic diseases in China is substantial now. Data on patterns of chronic dis-eases and multimorbidity among older adults, especially among those living in rural areas, are sparse. Objective We aim to investigate the prevalence and patterns of chronic disease pairs and multimorbid-ity in elderly people living in rural China. Methods This population-based study included 1480 adults aged 60 years and over (mean age 68.5 years, 59.4 % women) living in a rural community. Data were derived from the Confucius Hometown Aging Project in Shandong, China (June 2010-July 2011). Chronic diseases were diagnosed through face-to-face interviews, clinical examinations, and laboratory tests. Patterns of chronic disease pairs and multimorbidity were explored using logistic regression and exploratory factor analyses