Burden of Multiple Chronic Conditions in Delaware, 2011–2014

The objective of this study was to use data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to examine the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) by select sociodemographic groups and determine the prevalence of most common MCC dyads and triads among Delaware adults. Combined data for 2011 through 2014 from BRFSS (n = 18,052) were analyzed to determine prevalence of MCC. Delaware adults were categorized as having 0, 1, 2, or 3 or more of the following diagnosed chronic conditions: angina, arthritis, asthma, cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, myocardial infarction (heart attack), obesity, or stroke. More than 65% of Delaware adults had at least 1 of the 12 selected chronic conditions. Furthermore, 36.8% of Delaware adults had MCC. The arthritis/obesity dyad and the arthritis/high blood pressure/high cholesterol triad were the 2 most prevalent MCC combinations. The findings of this study contribute information to the field of MCC research.