Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Apr 25:10:E60.
doi: 10.5888/pcd10.120316.

Co-occurrence of leading lifestyle-related chronic conditions among adults in the United States, 2002-2009

Earl S Ford  1 , Janet B Croft, Samuel F Posner, Richard A Goodman, Wayne H Giles
Affiliations

Co-occurrence of leading lifestyle-related chronic conditions among adults in the United States, 2002-2009

Earl S Ford et al. Prev Chronic Dis. .

Abstract

Introduction: Public health and clinical strategies for meeting the emerging challenges of multiple chronic conditions must address the high prevalence of lifestyle-related causes. Our objective was to assess prevalence and trends in the chronic conditions that are leading causes of disease and death among adults in the United States that are amenable to preventive lifestyle interventions.

Methods: We used self-reported data from 196,240 adults aged 25 years or older who participated in the National Health Interview Surveys from 2002 to 2009. We included data on cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, heart attack, and stroke), cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema and chronic bronchitis), diabetes, and arthritis.

Results: In 2002, an unadjusted 63.6% of participants did not have any of the 5 chronic conditions we assessed; 23.9% had 1, 9.0% had 2, 2.9% had 3, and 0.7% had 4 or 5. By 2009, the distribution of co-occurrence of the 5 chronic conditions had shifted subtly but significantly. From 2002 to 2009, the age-adjusted percentage with 2 or more chronic conditions increased from 12.7% to 14.7% (P < .001), and the number of adults with 2 or more conditions increased from approximately 23.4 million to 30.9 million.

Conclusion: The prevalence of having 1 or more or 2 or more of the leading lifestyle-related chronic conditions increased steadily from 2002 to 2009. If these increases continue, particularly among younger adults, managing patients with multiple chronic conditions in the aging population will continue to challenge public health and clinical practice.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure
Figure
Estimated numbers of US adults aged 25 years or older with self-reported, co-occurring major lifestyle-related chronic conditions, National Health Interview Survey, 2002-2009 (10). [Table: see text]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The power of prevention. Chronic disease . . . the public health challenge of the 21st century. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/2009-power-of-prevention.pdf. Accessed January 17, 2013.
    1. Wolff JL, Starfield B, Anderson G. Prevalence, expenditures, and complications of multiple chronic conditions in the elderly. Arch Intern Med 2002;162(20):2269–76. 10.1001/archinte.162.20.2269 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Anderson G, Horvath J. The growing burden of chronic disease in America. Public Health Rep 2004;119(3):263–70. 10.1016/j.phr.2004.04.005 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Vogeli C, Shields AE, Lee TA, Gibson TB, Marder WD, Weiss KB, et al. Multiple chronic conditions: prevalence, health consequences, and implications for quality, care management, and costs. J Gen Intern Med 2007;22( Suppl 3):391–5. 10.1007/s11606-007-0322-1 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Schneider KM, O’Donnell BE, Dean D. Prevalence of multiple chronic conditions in the United States' Medicare population. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2009;7(82). - PMC - PubMed