Prevalence of multimorbidity among adults attending primary health care centres in Qatar: A retrospective cross-sectional study

CONTEXT: Multimorbidity (MM) is a global concern following the increase in life expectancy, the conquering of major infectious diseases, and the advances in the management of chronic illnesses. It places a substantial burden on patients and healthcare systems. AIMS: This study aims to describe the prevalence and pattern of MM in adults among primary healthcare users in Qatar. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A retrospective cross-sectional study design. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Data were extracted from the electronic health records of patients aged 18 years and above who registered for care with 27 primary health centres in Qatar from 1(st) January 2017 to 30(th) June 2020. The distribution of MM among age groups, gender and nationality was analysed. RESULTS: In the study population of 7,96,427, the prevalence of MM was found to be 22.1%. MM was more prevalent in females (51.2%) than males (48.8%). The prevalence of MM showed an increasing trend with increasing age, with a peak of 25.8% found in the 46–55 age group. Qatari nationals accounted for 32.7% of MM, Southeast Asians for 28.3%, North Africans for 16.7% and individuals from other Middle Eastern countries for 14.1%. The five most common long-term chronic conditions were type-2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity and eczema, with the first three being the most prevalent disease clusters. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm that MM is common in Qatar's primary care centres. While the prevalence of MM was found to increase with increasing age, the largest proportion of patients with MM were those aged 46–55 years. This information adds to the available data on MM and directs health policymakers towards tailoring the management for the same.