A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases and their multilevel socioeconomic impacts in Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Southwest China

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) have become the leading cause of mortality and disease burden in low- and middle-income regions, including ethnic minority areas in southwest China. However, population-based epidemiological data on CMDs and their socioeconomic impacts in karst rocky desertification areas remain scarce. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence, population distribution characteristics, and multilevel socioeconomic impacts of CMDs in Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, and to identify associated risk factors. Using multistage stratified cluster sampling, we enrolled 3012 permanent residents aged ≥18 years from Qianxinan Prefecture between January 2023 and December 2024. Data were collected via face-to-face structured questionnaires, standardized physical examinations, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, and household income and expenditure verification. CMDs were defined as having at least one of the following: hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, or stroke, all diagnosed according to national clinical guidelines. We calculated crude and age-standardized prevalence of CMDs, compared quality of life and household economic burden between CMD patients and non-affected participants, and performed multivariate regression analyses to identify factors associated with CMD prevalence, catastrophic health expenditure (CHE), and poverty due to illness. The age-standardized prevalence of CMDs in the study population was 26.3%, with hypertension (21.5%) being the most prevalent subtype, followed by diabetes (6.8%), coronary heart disease (3.0%), and stroke (1.3%). Higher age-standardized prevalence was observed in adults aged ≥60 years (42.6%), rural residents (29.8%), farmers (32.6%), and those with primary education or below (31.2%). CMD patients had significantly lower 36-Item Short Form Health Survey scores across all dimensions than non-affected participants, especially in the role-physical and role-emotional domains. Households with CMD patients had a significantly higher risk of CHE (27.3% vs 6.8%, P < .001) and poverty due to illness (15.6% vs 3.2%, P < .001) than non-affected households. Multivariate analyses showed that comorbidity of ≥2 CMDs, low household income, and lack of stable medical insurance were independent risk factors for CHE and poverty due to illness. The prevalence of CMDs in Qianxinan Prefecture is higher than the national average, with significant disparities across age, urban–rural, and health literacy subgroups. CMDs are associated with impaired quality of life and increased risks of catastrophic medical expenditure and poverty due to illness.