In a new study from UCL, researchers found more than one in three British adults are suffering from two or more chronic health conditions in middle age, such as recurrent back problems, mental ill-health, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high-risk drinking.
They found that among Generation X—adults born in 1970—those who grew up in poorer families are at much greater risk of having multiple long-term health problems in their late 40s.
They also found an association between physical and mental health conditions in childhood and adolescence, and chronic health problems in middle age.
In the study, the team analyzed data collected from a nationally representative group of around 8,000 British adults.
These people participated in the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) since they were born, more than 50 years ago.
At age 46-48, in 2016-18, they took part in a biomedical survey, where nurses measured their blood pressure and took a blood sample to check for diabetes.
The team found at age 46–48, 34% of adults had multiple chronic health problems, with more than a quarter (26%) engaged in high-risk drinking, more than one in five (21%) reporting recurrent back issues, and just under a fifth (19%) experiencing mental health problems.
One in six (16%) had high blood pressure, more than one in 10 (12%) were suffering from asthma or bronchitis, one in 13 (8%) had arthritis and one in 20 (5%) had diabetes in midlife.
The study also showed the most common combinations of chronic health conditions experienced by adults in middle age.
More than 4% had mental ill-health and high blood pressure, 3% suffered from mental health problems and asthma, 2.5% had mental ill-health and arthritis and 2% had diabetes and high blood pressure.
The researchers also found that adults from the poorest families were at 43% greater risk of having multiple long-term health conditions in midlife compared to those from the most privileged families.
They had almost three and half times higher risk of suffering from mental ill-health and arthritis, and around three times the risk of having poor mental health and high blood pressure in their late 40s.
Lower birthweight, higher body mass index and lower cognitive ability at age 10, and worse emotional and conduct issues at age 16 were all linked to increased risk of having multiple chronic health problems in middle age.
The team says compared to previous generations, it appears that the health of British adults in midlife is on the decline.
Public health guidance should focus on helping the population improve their health in midlife so they can age better, stay economically active and continue to lead fulfilling lives.
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The study is published in BMC Public Health. One author of the study is Dr. Dawid Gondek.
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