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. 2010 Dec;7(4):257-269.
doi: 10.1007/s10433-010-0171-3. Epub 2010 Nov 9.

Trends in healthy life expectancy in Hong Kong SAR 1996-2008

Karen Siu Lan Cheung  1 , Paul Siu Fai Yip
Affiliations

Trends in healthy life expectancy in Hong Kong SAR 1996-2008

Karen Siu Lan Cheung et al. Eur J Ageing. 2010 Dec.

Abstract

Although Hong Kong has one of the best life expectancy (LE) records in the world, second only to Japan for women, we know very little about the changes in the health status of the older adult population. Our article aims to provide a better understanding of trends in both chronic morbidity and disability for older men and women. The authors compute chronic morbidity-free and disability-free life expectancy and the proportion of both in relation to total LE using the Sullivan method to examine whether Hong Kong older adults are experiencing a compression of morbidity and disability and whether there is any gender difference in relation to mortality and morbidity. The results of this study show that Hong Kong women tend to outlive Hong Kong men but are also more likely to suffer from a 'double disadvantage', namely more years of life with more chronic morbidity and disability. There has also been a significant expansion of chronic morbidity, as chronic morbidity-free life expectancy (CMFLE) decreased substantially for both genders from 1996 to 2008. Although disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) increased during this period, it increased at a slower pace compared to LE. The proportion of life without chronic morbidity also declined remarkably during these 12 years. Among the advanced ages, the proportion of remaining life in good health without disability has decreased since 1996, indicating a relative expansion of disability.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The prevalence of chronic morbidity in Hong Kong SAR by gender for those aged 60 and above, 1999–2008. Four time points of actual chronic morbidity rates are shown in 1999, 2002, 2005/2006 and 2008. For the year 2002, we obtain the average of prevalence of chronic morbidity of 2001 and 2002
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The prevalence of disability in Hong Kong SAR by gender for those aged 60 and above, 1996–2008. Four time points of actual disability rates are shown in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Change in total life expectancy (LE), health expectancy indicators based on chronic morbidity-free life expectancy (CMFLE), and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) at ages 60, 65, 70, 75 and 80 by gender, Hong Kong SAR, 1996–2008
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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