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. 2014 Mar;26(2):261-82.
doi: 10.1177/0898264313514442. Epub 2013 Dec 24.

The contributions of diseases to disability burden among the elderly population in China

He Chen  1 , Haochen Wang, Eileen M Crimmins, Gong Chen, Chengli Huang, Xiaoying Zheng
Affiliations

The contributions of diseases to disability burden among the elderly population in China

He Chen et al. J Aging Health. 2014 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the contributions of diseases to disability burden among older persons in China.

Method: Based on the 2006 China Disability Survey (n = 354,859), we used the attribution method and Sullivan method to obtain disability prevalence and life expectancy with disability (LED) by disease, respectively.

Results: At disease group level, ear, eye, circulatory and musculoskeletal diseases, injury, and poisoning were the five leading causes of disability burden in terms of their contributions to disability prevalence and LED. At individual disease level, presbycusis, cataracts, cerebrovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and unclassified injuries were the five leading conditions, which accounted for 64% of disabilities and caused males and females aged 60 to have 3.04 and 3.76 years of LED, respectively.

Discussion: Along with the epidemiologic transition, chronic conditions have become the predominant contributor to disability burden among elderly persons in China. And, presbycusis, cataracts, cerebrovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and unclassified injuries should be the priorities in ameliorating disability.

Keywords: China; active life expectancy; disability.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
LED at age 60 (LED60) by disease group (years). Note. To display results clearly, the LED60 caused by infectious, mental diseases, CPCP, and other were merged into one category. LED = life expectancy with disability; CPCP = complications of pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium.
Figure 2
Figure 2
LED at age 60 (LED60) by individual disease (years). Note. To display results clearly, the LED60 caused by otitis media, retinopathy, keratopathy, and other were merged into one category. LED = life expectancy with disability.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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