title: Comparison of socio-economic indicators explaining inequalities in Healthy Life Years at age 50 in Europe: 2005 and 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The first estimates of Healthy Life Years at age 50 (HLY50) across the EU25 countries in 2005 showed substantial variation in healthy ageing. We investigate whether factors contributing to HLY50 inequalities have changed between 2005 and 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  HLY50 for each country and year were calculated using Sullivan's method, applying the age-specific prevalence of activity limitation from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) survey to life tables. Inequalities in life expectancy at age 50 (LE50) and HLY50 between countries were defined as the difference between the maximum and minimum LE50 or HLY50. Relationships between HLY50 and macro-level socio-economic indicators were investigated using meta-regression. Men and women were analysed separately.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2005 and 2010 HLY50 inequalities for both men and women in Europe increased. In 2005 and 2010 HLY50 inequalities exceeded LE50 inequalities, particularly in the established EU15 countries in 2010 where HLY50 inequalities (men: 10.7 years; women: 12.5 years) were four times greater for men and three times for women than LE50 inequalities (men: 2.4 years; women: 4.1 years). Only material deprivation significantly explained variation in EU25 HLY50 in both years with, additionally, long-term unemployment in 2010.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that inequalities in HLY50 across Europe are large, increasing and partly explained by levels of material deprivation. Moreover long-term unemployment has become more influential in explaining variation in HLY50 between 2005 and 2010.
authors: 1 Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University and Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors: Tony
authors: T
authors: Fouweather
authors: 2 Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
authors: Clare
authors: C
authors: Gillies
authors: 1 Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University and Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors: Pia
authors: P
authors: Wohland
authors: 3 Public Health and Surveillance, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Herman
authors: H
authors: Van Oyen
authors: 4 Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Centre, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Wilma
authors: W
authors: Nusselder
authors: 5 INSERM U988 and U710 and EPHE, Paris and Montpellier, France.
authors: Jean-Marie
authors: JM
authors: Robine
authors: 6 Institut National d'Etudes Démographiques, Paris, France.
authors: Emmanuelle
authors: E
authors: Cambois
authors: 1 Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University and Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK carol.jagger@ncl.ac.uk.
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Jagger
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D059066:Gross Domestic Product; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors