Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities: Headline Indicators - October 2013

Annual update of the 'Long-term Monitoring of Health Inequalities' headline indicators.


Healthy Life Expectancy at birth

Summary

  • There continue to be inequalities in both relative and absolute terms. Between 2009-2010 and 2011-2012, although inequalities appear to have widened slightly, the changes were not statistically significant. Changes to the methodology from 2009 mean comparisons with earlier years cannot be made.

The Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) indicator is based on two years of data to ensure large enough sample sizes.

Between 1999-2000 and 2007-2008, HLE increased by 3 years (4.5%) for males and by 2.3 years (3.4%) for females. In 2009, the format of the self-assessed health question, on which healthy life expectancy data is based, was changed to align with the European Union, leading to a major discontinuity in the series. The markedly lower estimates of HLE at birth from 2009 onwards cannot be considered as part of the same series as earlier years. A technical paper by the Scottish Public Health Observatory (ScotPHO) has more information on this change.[5]

In 2011-2012, HLE at Scotland level was 59.8 years for males and 62.3 years for females, broadly in line with the 2009-2010 figures. HLE is lower in deprived areas than in areas of low deprivation. In 2011-2012, HLE of those living in the 10% most deprived areas was 23.8 years lower for males and 22.6 years lower for females than HLE of those living in the 10% least deprived areas.

The difference between HLE and life expectancy, i.e. expected years spent in 'not good' health, is greater in more deprived areas. In the most deprived areas, males spend 22.7 years in 'not good' health, compared to 11.9 years in the least deprived areas and 16.7 years for males in Scotland as a whole. Females in the most deprived areas spend 26.1 years in 'not good' health in the most deprived areas, compared with 12.0 years in the least deprived areas and 18.5 years for females in Scotland as a whole.

Inequalities gradient in the most recent year available

Inequalities gradient in the most recent year available

Note: the red bars indicate 95% confidence limits of each HLE estimate.

Relative Index of Inequality (RII) over time

Relative Index of Inequality (RII) over time

Data not available for 2003-2004

Absolute range over time

Absolute range over time

Data not available for 2003-2004.

The red bars for each column indicate the uncertainties in each estimate based on 95% confidence intervals around each HLE estimate.

Scale / context

Current Methodology (5 point scale of self-assessed health), 2009-2010 and 2011-2012

Men

Male HLE in years

95%LL

95%UL

Male LE in years

95%LL

95%UL

Estimated years spent in 'not good' health

2009-2010

Scotland

59.9

59.4

60.4

76.1

76.0

76.2

16.2

Most deprived decile

47.4

45.8

49.0

68.7

68.3

69.1

21.3

Least deprived decile

69.9

68.2

71.6

82.0

81.6

82.3

12.1

2011-2012

Scotland

59.8

59.3

59.3

76.6

76.4

76.7

16.7

Most deprived decile

46.4

44.7

44.7

69.2

68.8

69.6

22.7

Least deprived decile

70.2

68.5

68.5

82.1

81.8

82.4

11.9

Women

Female HLE in years

95%LL

95%UL

Female LE in years

95%LL

95%UL

Estimated years spent in 'not good' health

2009-2010

Scotland

62.1

61.6

62.6

80.6

80.5

80.8

18.6

Most deprived decile

51.1

49.6

52.6

76.1

75.7

76.5

24.9

Least deprived decile

73.2

71.7

74.7

84.8

84.5

85.1

11.6

2011-2012

Scotland

62.3

61.8

62.9

80.9

80.8

81.0

18.5

Most deprived decile

50.2

48.6

51.8

76.4

76.0

76.7

26.1

Least deprived decile

72.8

71.2

74.5

84.8

84.5

85.2

12.0

1. From 2009, self-assessed health was measured on a five-point scale (Very good, Good, Fair, Bad, Very bad). For summary purposes, the final three categories (Fair, Bad, Very Bad) are collectively referred to as 'Not good health'. This is different to the category of 'Poor health' in the subsequent two tables.

Previous Methodology (3-point scale of self-assessed health), 1999-2000 to 2007-2008

Men

Male HLE in years

95%LL

95%UL

Male LE in years

95%LL

95%UL

Estimated years spent in poor health1

1999-2000

Scotland

65.0

64.7

65.4

73.0

72.8

73.1

7.9

Most deprived decile

53.7

52.6

54.8

65.8

65.4

66.3

12.1

Least deprived decile

75.0

74.0

75.9

78.6

78.3

79.0

3.7

2001-2002

Scotland

65.9

65.6

66.2

73.4

73.3

73.5

7.5

Most deprived decile

55.0

53.9

56.1

65.8

65.4

66.3

10.8

Least deprived decile

75.7

74.8

76.6

79.5

79.1

79.9

3.8

2003-2004

Scotland

74.0

73.9

74.1

-

Most deprived decile

66.3

65.9

66.8

-

Least deprived decile

79.7

79.3

80.0

-

2005-2006

Scotland

67.4

67.1

67.7

74.8

74.7

74.9

7.4

Most deprived decile

57.0

55.9

58.1

67.5

67.1

67.9

10.5

Least deprived decile

76.8

75.8

77.8

80.7

80.4

81.1

3.9

2007-2008 - revised

Scotland

68.0

67.6

68.3

75.1

75.0

75.2

7.1

Most deprived decile

56.9

55.7

58.1

67.6

67.2

68.0

10.6

Least deprived decile

75.8

74.7

76.9

80.9

80.6

81.3

5.1

Women

Female HLE in years

95%LL

95%UL

Female LE in years

95%LL

95%UL

Estimated years spent in poor health1

1999-2000

Scotland

68.2

67.8

68.5

78.4

78.3

78.5

10.3

Most deprived decile

59.8

58.6

61.0

74.2

73.9

74.6

14.4

Least deprived decile

77.1

76.1

78.1

81.8

81.5

82.1

4.7

2001-2002

Scotland

69.2

68.9

69.6

78.9

78.8

79.0

9.6

Most deprived decile

60.0

58.8

61.1

74.6

74.2

74.9

14.6

Least deprived decile

76.8

75.6

77.9

82.4

82.1

82.8

5.7

2003-2004

Scotland

79.1

79.0

79.2

-

Most deprived decile

74.8

74.4

75.2

-

Least deprived decile

83.0

82.6

83.3

-

2005-2006

Scotland

69.6

69.2

70.0

79.7

79.6

79.8

10.1

Most deprived decile

59.9

58.7

61.1

75.1

74.7

75.5

15.2

Least deprived decile

78.1

76.8

79.3

84.2

83.9

84.6

6.2

2007-2008

Scotland

70.5

70.1

70.9

80.0

79.8

80.1

9.5

Most deprived decile

60.9

59.5

62.2

75.5

75.2

75.9

14.7

Least deprived decile

77.6

76.3

78.8

84.3

84.0

84.6

6.7

1. Prior to 2009, self-assessed health was measured on a three-point scale (Good, Fairly good, Not good). For summary purposes, 'Not good' responses were counted as 'Poor health'. This is not comparable to the category of 'Not good health' used from 2009 onwards.

Contact

Email: Craig Kellock

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