ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Life-Course Epidemiology and Social Inequalities in Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1645486
Sociodemographic Inequalities in Multimorbidity and Lifestyle Risk Factors Among Young Adults: A National Population-Based Study
Provisionally accepted
- Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
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Background: Multimorbidity is an increasing worldwide concern, disproportionately impacting disadvantaged populations. Existing studies have mainly focused on older adults, leaving a gap in understanding how sociodemographic inequalities influence the prevalence and risk factors for multimorbidity among younger individuals. This study aims to explore sociodemographic disparities in the prevalence of multimorbidity and its behavioral risk factors among young Brazilian adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the 2019 National Health Survey, involving a representative sample of individuals aged 20 to 50 years (n = 48,890). Sociodemographic variables (such as gender, age, race, education, socioeconomic status, marital status, health insurance, and region of residence) and behavioral factors (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and eating habits) were examined in relation to multimorbidity. Logistic regression models were used to explore the associations between the selected variables and multimorbidity. Results: Of the 48,890 participants, 18% reported multimorbidity. Sociodemographic disparities were identified, with higher prevalence among women, older adults, individuals with lower education levels, and those with health insurance. Conversely, participants from the North, Northeast, and Central-West regions were associated with lower prevalence rates. The prevalence of multiple behavioral risk factors (four or more) was greater among those with lower education, lower socioeconomic status, and residents of the South and North regions. Older and married individuals exhibited a lower prevalence of concurrent risk factors. Conclusions: Sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, education, marital status, health insurance, and region were associated to multimorbidity and the co-occurrence of multiple behavioral risk factors. These disparities highlight the need for policies to reduce modifiable risk factors and promote equitable healthcare access, especially for socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.
Keywords: multimorbidity, noncommunicable diseases, lifestyle, Socioeconomic Factors, Health Surveys
Received: 11 Jun 2025; Accepted: 26 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tavares, Nucci, Monezi Andrade and Enes. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Carla Cristina Enes, Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
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