Trends in disability-free life expectancy in Japan, 1995-2004.
BACKGROUND
In Japan, life expectancy at birth is currently the highest in the world. However, recent trends in disability-free life expectancy in Japan have not been examined.


METHODS
We used data from Japanese national surveys for the period 1995-2004. These surveys included information on activity status measured by common self-reported instruments. The numbers of expected years with and without activity limitation were estimated by using the Sullivan method.


RESULTS
The numbers of expected years of life without activity limitation, at birth, in 1995 and 2004 were 68.5 and 69.7, respectively, in males and 72.1 and 73.0 in females. As a proportion of total life expectancy, at birth, these values represent a decrease from 89.7% to 88.6% in males and from 87.1% to 85.3% in females. The proportion of expected years with a limitation of some activities except activities of daily living (ADL) increased in males and females. The proportion of those with an ADL limitation increased in females, but not in males.


CONCLUSIONS
The trends in expected years with and without activity limitation suggest that the duration of life with a light or moderate disability increased in Japanese males and females during the period 1995-2004.
Department of Hygiene, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan. hasimoto@fujita-hu.ac.jp
Shuji
S
Hashimoto
Miyuki
M
Kawado
Rumi
R
Seko
Yoshitaka
Y
Murakami
Masayuki
M
Hayashi
Masahiro
M
Kato
Tatsuya
T
Noda
Toshiyuki
T
Ojima
Masato
M
Nagai
Ichiro
I
Tsuji
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires