Cross-sectional examination of musculoskeletal conditions and multimorbidity: influence of different thresholds and definitions on prevalence and association estimates

Table 2 Working-age population prevalence of (1) multimorbidity, (2) any musculoskeletal condition (MSK) and multimorbidity, and (3) MSK among those with multimorbidity

Population description	Prevalence % (95% CIs)^a
Population description	Condition threshold	Survey-based definition^b	Policy-based definition^c	Research-based definition^d
1. Multimorbidity among the working-age population (i.e. ^C/_A; Fig. 2) (n = 12,604)	2+	61.5 (60.3, 62.7)	15.3 (14.3, 16.2)	7.9 (7.4, 8.5)
	3+	41.9 (40.6, 43.1)	4.2 (3.7, 4.7)	2.1 (1.8, 2.5)
2. Multimorbidity that includes at least one MSK among the working-age population (i.e. ^E/_A; Fig. 2) (n = 12,604)	2+	31.1 (29.9, 32.3)	12.9 (12.1, 13.7)	6.8 (6.3, 7.4)
	3+	25.4 (24.3, 26.5)	3.8 (3.4, 4.3)	2.0 (1.6, 2.3)
3. MSK among the working-age subsample with multimorbidity (i.e. ^E/_C; Fig. 2) (n = varies for each multimorbidity definition)	2+	50.6 (49.1, 52.1)	84.8 (83.0, 86.5)	86.0 (83.4, 88.5)
	3+	60.7 (58.9, 62.5)	91.8 (88.4, 95.2)	93.5 (90.4, 96.5)

^aAll prevalence estimates are based on the total Australian working-age population (ages 18-64 years) by taking the NHS survey design weightings into account, unless otherwise specified
^bSurvey-based: multimorbidity defined as including any two or more of the possible conditions measured in the Australian National Health Survey that were reported as being present for 6 months or more
^cPolicy-based: multimorbidity defined as including two or more of any of the restricted classes of morbidities based on Australian National Health Priority Areas being present for 6 months or more: musculoskeletal conditions, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mental health
^dResearch-based: 11 specific conditions being present for 6 months or more, based on a literature review conducted by Diederichs et al. [35], cancer, diabetes mellitus, depression, hypertension, myocardial infarction, chronic ischemic heart disease, heart arrhythmias, heart insufficiency, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and arthritis

ISSN: 1756-0500