Socioeconomic status and lifestyle as factors of multimorbidity among older adults in China: results from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey

This study demonstrated the feasibility and interpretability of using machine learning to model complex risk patterns of multimorbidity. Socioeconomic and functional variables were dominant factors associated with multimorbidity, suggesting structural roots of health inequality. These findings offered empirical and theoretical support for early risk stratification and targeted public health interventions aimed at mitigating multimorbidity in aging populations.