AUTHOR=Marzà-Florensa Anna , Boateng Daniel , Agyemang Charles , Beune Erik , Meeks Karlijn A. C. , Bahendeka Silver , Levitt Naomi , Klipstein-Grobusch Kerstin 

TITLE=Multimorbidity Among Migrant and Non-Migrant Ghanaians: The RODAM Study

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 66 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2021.1604056

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2021.1604056

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives
Multimorbidity is a growing public health problem due to the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, yet information about multimorbidity in low- and middle-income countries and migrants is scarce. We aim to investigate the distribution and patterns of multimorbidity in urban and rural areas in Ghana and Ghanaian migrants in Europe.
Methods
The RODAM cross-sectional study included 4833 adults in Ghana and Europe. Multimorbidity was defined as presence of multiple non-communicable chronic conditions. Patterns were determined from frequent combination of conditions. Prevalence ratios were estimated by logistic regression. 
Results
Multimorbidity prevalence was higher in women and it was 35.3%, 48.8% and 43.6% in rural Ghana, urban Ghana and Europe respectively. We observed a cardiometabolic pattern in all sites and circulatory-musculoskeletal and metabolic-musculoskeletal patterns in Ghana. Multimorbidity risk was higher in Europe and urban Ghana compared to rural Ghana. 
Conclusion
Distribution and patterns of multimorbidity differed by site and sex. Having a higher burden in urban areas, prevention strategies should focus on restraining it from increasing in growing rural areas.
Key words
Multimorbidity, non-communicable diseases, migration, urbanization, low- and middle-income countries