Why the study?
Although extensive research exists regarding illness perceptions, little is known about illness perceptions of multimorbidity.
Population
Community-dwelling older adults (n=17 for interviews, n=116 for MULTIPleS)
Comparison
Illness perceptions by socio-demographic and illness-related characteristics
Design
Parallel-convergent mixed-methods study
Key result
Among community-dwelling older adults (71% female), illness perception of multimorbidity did not differ by the number of chronic conditions but varied by race/ethnicity and education.
Authors
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Clinicians should consider race/ethnicity and education when addressing illness perceptions; cross-sectional data leaves open effects on outcomes and behaviors.
Observational (n=133)
Older adults with multimorbidity prioritize the impact of their conditions on overall wellbeing rather than the absolute number of chronic conditions they have.
Bankole et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Multimorbidity (n=133). Among community-dwelling older adults (71% female), illness perception of multimorbidity did not differ by the number of chronic conditions but varied by race/ethnicity and education.