Multimorbidity patterns of chronic diseases among community-dwelling older adults in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 2020: a network analysis

ObjectiveTo analyze multimorbidity networks in community-dwelling elderly adults in Yuexiu district, Guangzhou and provide evidence to inform chronic disease management in community settings. MethodsA total of 54 829 individuals aged ≥ 65 years who participated in the National Free Health Examination Program in Yuexiu district, Guangzhou from January to December 2020 were included. Python 3.14.0 was used for hierarchical cluster analysis of the multimorbidity patterns, and Gephi 0.9.2 was employed to visually analyze the multimorbidity networks. Subsequently, subgroup analyses were conducted based on gender and clustering results. ResultsThe overall prevalence of multimorbidity in community-dwelling elderly adults in Yuexiu district, Guangzhou was 45.5% (24 922/54 829). The prevalence among males [44.2% (10 594/23 957)] was lower than that among females [46.4% (14 328/30 872)] (χ2 = 28.00, P ConclusionsMultimorbidity is highly prevalent among community-dwelling elderly adults in Yuexiu district, Guangzhou, with complex interrelationships among chronic diseases. The multimorbidity network in females is more intricate than that in males. These findings highlight the need for community health institutions to implement targeted interventions tailored to gender differences.