Multiple Chronic Conditions - Women in Florida

Florida

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines chronic conditions as any condition that lasts more than a year and has one or both of the following characteristics: requires ongoing medical attention and/or limits activities of daily living. Chronic health conditions include both physical and mental illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease or depression. People with one or more chronic health conditions are at increased risk of poor health outcomes, such as longer hospital stays and adverse drug events. Around half of the adult population in the United States has two or more chronic conditions. Adults with multiple chronic conditions represent one of the highest-need segments of the population, as each chronic condition likely requires additional medication and treatment.

Women have a higher prevalence of several chronic conditions than men, including Alzheimer’s disease, depression and osteoporosis. There are also chronic conditions specific to the female reproductive health system, such as endometriosis and pelvic floor disorders.

The economic burden of multiple chronic conditions is substantial. The average health care spending of those with five or more chronic conditions is 14 times higher than that of those without any chronic conditions. An estimated 90% of health expenditures in the United States are attributed to chronic illnesses.

Many chronic conditions share similar risk factors, including smoking, excessive alcohol use, poor nutrition and physical inactivity. 

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of having three or more chronic health conditions is higher among:

• Women ages 35-44 compared with women ages 18-34.
• American Indian/Alaska Native women and women who identify their race as other compared with Asian and Hispanic women.
• Women who did not graduate from college compared with college graduates.
• Women with an annual household income less than $25,000 compared with women who have higher incomes.
• Women who live in nonmetropolitan areas compared with those in metropolitan areas.
• Women who have difficulty with self-care or mobility compared with women who do not have a disability. 
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer (LGBQ+) women compared with straight women. 
• Women who have served in the U.S. armed forces compared with those who have not served.

There are several behavioral changes individuals can make to reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions, including:

• Eating healthy. 
• Not smoking. 
• Exercising regularly. 
• Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption. 
• Staying up to date on health screenings. 
• Taking care of one’s teeth. 
• Getting enough sleep. 
• Knowing one’s family health history. 

These lifestyle modifications can also help manage existing chronic conditions. Chronic disease management programs and self-management education workshops can help teach individuals how to live with one or more chronic conditions.

Patient-centered care, which addresses the needs of the whole person by creating treatment plans that consider all aspects of a person rather than a single condition or disease, is particularly important for people living with multiple chronic conditions.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends comprehensive telehealth interventions for those who have chronic conditions influenced by dietary behaviors, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes. These interventions have been shown to effectively improve diet quality and reduce sodium intake.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives related to specific health conditions, including:

• Reducing the proportion of adults with arthritis who have moderate or severe joint pain.
• Reducing deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults.
• Reducing the number of diabetes cases diagnosed annually.
• Reducing the proportion of adults with chronic kidney disease. 
• Improving cardiovascular health in adults.
• Increasing the proportion of adults with serious mental illness who get treatment.

Abid, Muhammad Hasan, Augustine Kumah, Ahmed Newera, and Passant Hafez. “Patient-Centered Healthcare: From Patient Experience to Human Experience,” November 1, 2024. https://doi.org/10.36401/JQSH-24-X2.

Bierman, Arlene S., Jing Wang, Patrick G. O’Malley, and Dina K. Moss. “Transforming Care for People with Multiple Chronic Conditions: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Research Agenda.” Health Services Research 56, no. S1 (October 2021): 973–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13863.

Boersma, Peter, Lindsey I. Black, and Brian W. Ward. “Prevalence of Multiple Chronic Conditions Among US Adults, 2018.” Preventing Chronic Disease 17 (2020). https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.200130.

Buttorff, Christine, Teague Ruder, and Melissa Bauman. Multiple Chronic Conditions in the United States. Tools. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2017. https://doi.org/10.7249/TL221.

Skinner, Halcyon G., Rosanna Coffey, Jenna Jones, Kevin C. Heslin, and Ernest Moy. “The Effects of Multiple Chronic Conditions on Hospitalization Costs and Utilization for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions in the United States: A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study.” BMC Health Services Research 16, no. 1 (December 2016): 77. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1304-y.

Vogeli, Christine, Alexandra E. Shields, Todd A. Lee, Teresa B. Gibson, William D. Marder, Kevin B. Weiss, and David Blumenthal. “Multiple Chronic Conditions: Prevalence, Health Consequences, and Implications for Quality, Care Management, and Costs.” Journal of General Internal Medicine 22, no. S3 (December 2007): 391–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-007-0322-1.

Watson, Kathleen B., Jennifer L. Wiltz, Kunthea Nhim, Rachel B. Kaufmann, Craig W. Thomas, and Kurt J. Greenlund. “Trends in Multiple Chronic Conditions Among US Adults, By Life Stage, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2013–2023.” Preventing Chronic Disease 22 (2025). https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd22.240539.