title: Educational and sex differentials in life expectancies and disability-free life expectancies in São Paulo, Brazil, and urban areas in Mexico.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate transition probabilities between disability states, total life expectancy, and the latter's decomposition into years spent disabled and disability-free by age, sex, and education among older adults in São Paulo, Brazil, and urban areas in Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  Applied a micro-simulation method (Interpolative Markov Chains) using longitudinal data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found large between-country educational differences in incidence of and recovery from disability with higher rates in Mexico than in São Paulo, but no differences in mortality. Older adults in Mexico spent longer time being disability-free than in São Paulo for both levels of education. Males and females in São Paulo spent a larger fraction of their remaining life disabled at every age than their counterparts in urban areas in Mexico.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were educational differences in the prevalence of disability in São Paulo and urban areas in Mexico, and significant educational differences in disability incidence and recovery across sites.
authors.affiliation: Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02315, USA. beltrans@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Hiram
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beltrán-Sánchez
authors.forename: Flávia Cristina Drumond
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Brazil; Mexico; disability; education; life expectancy