A network-based approach to explore comorbidity patterns among community-dwelling older adults living alone.
Geroscience
; 46(2): 2253-2264, 2024 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37924440
ABSTRACT
The detailed comorbidity patterns of community-dwelling older adults have not yet been explored. This study employed a network-based approach to investigate the comorbidity patterns of community-dwelling older adults living alone. The sample comprised a cross-sectional cohort of adults 65 or older living alone in a Korean city (n = 1041; mean age = 77.7 years, 77.6% women). A comorbidity network analysis that estimates networks aggregated from measures of significant co-occurrence between pairs of diseases was employed to investigate comorbid associations between 31 chronic conditions. A cluster detection algorithm was employed to identify specific clusters of comorbidities. The association strength was expressed as the observed-to-expected ratio (OER). As a result, fifteen diseases were interconnected within the network (OER > 1, p-value < .05). While hypertension had a high prevalence, osteoporosis was the most central disease, co-occurring with numerous other diseases. The strongest associations among comorbidities were found between thyroid disease and urinary incontinence, chronic otitis media and osteoporosis, gastric duodenal ulcer/gastritis and anemia, and depression and gastric duodenal ulcer/gastritis (OER > 1.85). Three distinct clusters were identified as follows (a) cataracts, osteoporosis, chronic otitis media, osteoarthritis/rheumatism, low back pain/sciatica, urinary incontinence, post-accident sequelae, and thyroid diseases; (b) hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension; and (c) depression, skin disease, gastric duodenal ulcer/gastritis, and anemia. The results may prove valuable in guiding the early diagnosis, management, and treatment of comorbidities in older adults living alone.
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Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Osteoporose
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Otite Média
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Incontinência Urinária
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Úlcera Duodenal
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Gastrite
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Hipertensão
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Anemia
Limite:
Aged
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Female
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Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Geroscience
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article