title: Active life expectancy of older people in Mexico.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social and economic development together with demographic changes and health interventions have resulted in an increase in life expectancy and a rapidly ageing population in Mexico. Whether people will live longer active and independent lives is still, however, unknown. We will address this question, providing the first estimates of active life expectancy by age, sex and local regional area in Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  Active life expectancy was calculated using the Sullivan method with abridged life tables. Information on the older Mexican population covered by the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) and the number of deaths for the same group in the year 2000 was obtained from the Office for Health Statistics and Information at IMSS in Mexico. Information on ability to perform basic activities of daily living was obtained from the National Survey on Ageing carried out in IMSS during 1998-99.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For males and females combined, active life expectancy decreased from 26.9 years at 60 years to 5.7 years at 85 years. Women's life expectancy exceeded that of men but women lived more years dependent. Similarly, older people in geographical areas with longer life expectancy spent a lower proportion of remaining life active.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The success in increasing life expectancy above average in some groups of older people covered by IMSS has been accompanied by increments in the proportion of remaining years dependent upon others for help in basic self-care activities.
authors: Bedford Primary Care Trust, NHS, UK. reyes_beaman@doctors.net.uk
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Reyes-Beaman
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Jagger
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Garcia-Peña
authors: Onofre
authors: O
authors: Muñoz
authors: Peter E
authors: PE
authors: Beaman
authors: Bruce
authors: B
authors: Stafford
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico