title: [Life expectancy at birth in Colombia, 2000-2009: inequalities by region and gender].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Life expectancy is one of the measurements that have been used to monitor socioeconomic development within and among countries. During the last 30 years, life expectancy has increased worldwide mainly due to medical and technological developments. However, access to health care, new technologies and social determinants remain unevenly distributed among regions and countries in the world.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess inequalities in life expectancy by gender and regions (departments) in Colombia between 2000 and 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ecological study. Life expectancy was estimated for each Colombian department using yearly life tables from 2000 to 2009. We used data from the death registries and the estimated population series, provided by the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE). For the study period, estimates of life expectancy by departments were compared with those from Japan for the years 2000, 2006 and 2009, which is the country with the highest life expectancy in the world, and with the Colombian department with the highest life expectancy from 2000 to 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the highest life expectancy in the world, Colombian departments showed differences ranged between 5.7 and 21 years. We found significant differences between departments, with the largest difference being 15.3 years. Additionally, in some departments life expectancy decreased during the analyzed period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified differences in life expectancy in Colombian departments suggesting inequalities in health and living conditions among them. These differences increased in some departments during the period 2000-2009.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Javier H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Eslava-Schmalbach
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Carlos Javier
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Rincón
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: Carol Cristina
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Guarnizo-Herreño
mesh_terms: D003105:Colombia; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors