Healthy life expectancy of Thai elderly: did it improve during the soap-bubble economic period?

ABSTRACT

Healthy life expectancy (HLE) of Thai elderly was studied to clarify the health benefit for the elderly population in Thailand during the soap-bubble economic period by comparing their HLE and life expectancy (LE) in 1986 and 1995. The information on the perceived health status of Thai elderly, aged 60 and over, from two national surveys in 1986 and 1995 and the life tables of correspondent years were used for calculating healthy life expectancy. Both life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HLE) of Thai elderly have markedly increased between 1986 and 1995. Regardless of sex, the HLE-LE ratios of nearly all age groups increased from 1986 to 1995. This suggests that the unhealthy life duration had been compressed. Women spend more years than men both active and inactive at every age; however, the proportion of life that is expected to be active is less for women. In conclusion, health and well-being of Thai elderly population significantly improved during the soap-bubble economic period (1989-1996) of Thailand.