Prevalence and quality of life of the adult population with multiple long-term conditions in an Urban Municipality of Nepal

Background The presence of two or more chronic conditions at the same time in the same individual has been increasing. The presence of chronic conditions will lead to a huge burden on physical and psychological health and poor quality of life. The study aimed to identify the prevalence and quality of life among adult populations living with multiple long-term conditions (MLTC). Methods This was a community-based cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at the urban municipality of Kathmandu, Nepal. A total of 1407 adults aged 20 years and above were included. The assessment of quality of life was done by interviews of the persons living with MLTC with the use of the Nepali version of the European Health Interview Survey - Quality of Life (EUROHIS-QOL8-Item) Index. Results Out of the total participants, 24% had non-communicable disease. The prevalence of hypertension was 14%, diabetes 7.1%, gastritis 3.7%, thyroid disorders 2.6% and COPD 2.5%. The prevalence of MLTC was 7.9% among adults aged ≥ 20 years. The prevalence of MLTC for those with age ≥ 40 years was 14% whereas for those aged 20–39 years it was 1%. Among the people with MLTC, those with chronic backache and COPD had the worst limitation in daily activities. Out of the 8 items of EUROHIS-QOL, the lowest score obtained was on the satisfaction with energy for everyday life, with an average score of 2.8, and satisfaction with finances, with a score of 3.1 out of 4. The overall mean QOL score was 28 out of 40. Conclusions Nursing faculties and nursing student can utilize the findings (evidence based) of these surveys while planning health intervention in community where there is scarcity of resources. Furthermore, the team should aim to address the quality of life of people while planning and implementing micro health project in these community.