Prevalence and patterns of morbidity among adults in Germany

To describe the prevalence and patterns of morbidity among adults in Germany, we collected self-reported information on 22 chronic health conditions in a nationally representative health survey among 21,262 participants (51.5% women, aged 18–100 years). Age- and sex-specific prevalences were calculated for single health conditions, disease categories, the most prevalent disease dyads and triads, and for multimorbidity defined by condition count. In both sexes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic back pain, obesity, and osteoarthritis were the most prevalent single health conditions and significantly increased with age. Cardiometabolic and musculoskeletal conditions were the two most prevalent disease categories in all age and sex groups. The most prevalent disease category dyads and triads included combinations between cardiometabolic conditions, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disease, depression, sensory limitations, and cancer. The prevalence and magnitude of multimorbidity strongly increased with age in both sexes. Among German adults, the prevalence of chronic health conditions varies greatly by age and sex. In contrast, patterns of morbidity and comorbidity differ according to age, but are highly consistent between men and women. The predominant role of cardiometabolic conditions in all groups underlines the need for preventive efforts. The co-occurrence of chronic health conditions among older is highly prevalent and this calls for tailoring health care towards specific disease combinations.