title: Are there education differentials in disability and mortality transitions and active life expectancy among Japanese older adults? Findings from a 10-year prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the robust education-health association found in Western developed nations in the Japanese context. We examined disability and mortality transitions and computed active life expectancy (ALE) by educational attainment for a cohort of Japanese adults aged 65+ years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nationally representative data from the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging over a 10-year period in Japan (1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, and 2009) were used (N = 4,968). Disability was measured by difficulties in performing daily activities. A multistate life table method was employed using an interpolated Markov chain approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is little effect of education on disability and mortality transitions. Except for transiting from an active to inactive state (disability incidence), the other health transitions, including to mortality, are not statistically significant. ALE computations show that Japanese men and women with more education can expect more years of remaining life and active life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The robust education-health relationship found in Western societies does not seem applicable in Japan. We discuss the casual mechanisms addressed in the literature in relation to Japan's relatively egalitarian society and specific characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Research Institute for the Sciences and Humanities, Nihon University, 12-5 Goban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8251, Japan. vanessa.yong@nihon-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D019456:Health Transition; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires