The impacts of comorbidity on health outcomes and health care utilization in the Canadian population

grantor: University of TorontoThis thesis examined the prevalence and impacts of comorbidity of specific combinations of chronic conditions, using data from the 1994/95 Canadian National Population Health Survey. All pairs of the following conditions were studied for their associations with long-term disability, poor self-reported health, and general practitioner (GP) visits, using probabilities and relative risks: allergies, arthritis, back problems, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. People with comorbid musculoskeletal conditions and heart disease or diabetes were at increased risk of reporting long-term disability and poor self-reported health, while comorbid high blood pressure or allergies had negligible effects. High blood pressure was only important as a comorbid condition for GP visits. While effects for pairs were usually greater than effects for single conditions, the combined effects were often less than additive. The results demonstrate that a simple summation of chronic conditions does not accurately describe their combined impacts, and that studies which give equal weighting to all conditions may be misleading.M.Sc