Multiple chronic illnesses common in adults at five African sites
Among 5,296 adults aged 40 or older, 36.3% had multiple chronic conditions, 14.1% were frail and 22.9% reported disability.
Limit: Some chronic conditions relied on self-reports
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
A population-based cross-sectional study included 5,296 adults aged 40 or older in rural and urban areas of The Gambia and South Africa, and urban Zimbabwe. Their mean age was 61.0 years, and 53.3% were women. Researchers used questionnaires, physical assessments and tests to identify chronic conditions.
Multimorbidity meant having at least two chronic conditions. Frailty meant meeting at least three of five criteria, including exhaustion, slow walking and weak grip. Overall, 60.7% had one or two signs, termed pre-frailty. All three health states—multimorbidity, frailty and disability—occurred together in 3.8%. Mood disorders were associated with both frailty and disability. Among those aged 70 or older, frailty or pre-frailty together with disability was associated with lower health-related quality of life, with or without multiple conditions.
Why it matters
For middle-aged and older adults, overlapping health problems raise questions about care focused on individual diseases. The authors called for evaluating care centered on the whole person, which they suggested may improve function, health and quality of life.
Caveats
This cross-sectional study cannot establish cause and effect, and some conditions and disability relied on self-reports. The findings concern adults aged 40 or older at five sites, not all African populations; the preprint has not been peer-reviewed.
The paper
University of Bristol
Research Square, Aug 10, 2026, Open access, CC BY, Preprint, not peer-reviewed
