Objective: To determine the disease structure of residents in several communes of Thai Binh (former) province in 2024.
Subjects and methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted involving 1,542 households with 5,882 individuals across 16 communes in 8 districts/cities (as of July 1, 2025, these areas are under the professional management of the Hung Yen Department of Health). Data was collected through direct interviews using tools based on the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-2) and the WHO SAGE questionnaire. To mitigate recall bias, investigators cross-referenced self-reported data with medical records, prescriptions, and health management files at local health stations.
Results: Individuals with health problems accounted for 48.2% of the surveyed population. The prevalence of disease was higher in females (49.7%) than in males (46.6%). The over-76 age group exhibited the highest morbidity rate. According to the ICPC-2 classification, cardiovascular diseases predominated, with uncomplicated hypertension (K86) being the most frequent condition (21.8%), followed by osteoarthritis (2.9%) and peptic ulcer (2.5%). Regarding multimorbidity, 33.4% of participants suffered from one disease, while 13.8% had two or more concurrent conditions.
Conclusion: The findings highlight a substantial burden of chronic non-communicable diseases and a high prevalence of multimorbidity, particularly among the elderly population. This study provides a critical scientific basis for the development of targeted chronic disease management models and the prioritization of interventions within the grassroots health network.