Healthy Life Expectancy

Page last updated: 27-JUL-2010

Healthy Life Expectancy

Statistical Publication Notice

16 December 2008

Healthy Life Expectancy

INTRODUCTION

Although both life expectancy (LE) and healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth have been increasing in Scotland in recent years, they are lower than in the UK as a whole. Indeed, Scotland has one of the lowest levels of LE in Western Europe. The Scottish Government has included a target to increase HLE in Scotland Performs .
 
This publication updates and expands upon the first estimates of HLE for Scotland produced by ISD and others in 2004. It covers information on the background, the policy context and UK and international comparisons, and includes a suite of LE and HLE data for Scotland and the following sub-groups: NHS board areas, community health partnerships (CHPs), deprivation quintiles and deciles, and areas defined by the urban rural classification. In addition, limited data are included for LE (not HLE) by intermediate geographies and locally defined areas, hosted under the Scottish Health and Wellbeing profiles. Also included are a comprehensive set of life tables (showing LE and HLE at different ages) and a technical paper with detailed information on methodology.

KEY POINTS

  • Both LE and HLE are lower (worse) in Scotland than in the UK as a whole.
  • Both LE and HLE at birth have improved in Scotland over recent years. The average boy born in 2007 would be expected to live to 75 years, 68 of these in 'good' health. The average girl born in 2007 would be expected to live to 80 years, 70 of them in 'good' health.
  • However, the gap between LE and HLE at birth has also increased over recent years, meaning that more years are now expected to be spent in 'not good' health during a lifetime (7 years for men and 10 for women).
  • There are considerable variations in LE and HLE at birth among different geographical and socio-economic groups within Scotland. For example, the average boy born in the period 1999-2003 in the least deprived tenth of the Scottish population would be expected to live to 79 years, 75 of these in 'good' health.  This compares with a boy born in the most deprived tenth of the population who would be expected to live to 66 years, 55 of them in 'good' health.

INTERPRETATION

LE is calculated from population estimates and death registration data, using a life table. HLE is calculated by combining LE and a measure of 'good' health (self-assessed general health from the Census or a household survey). The results should be interpreted as providing a general indication of LE and HLE estimates over time, rather than precise and robust figures. The results include 95% confidence intervals to give some indication of the stability of the estimates in terms of the likely range of random year-to-year statistical variability in the source data.  However, it should be emphasised that it is not possible to quantify the effects of any unusual circumstances which affect the figures for a particular locality or year.
 
Because of small numbers, the smaller the area the greater the risk of unexpected trends in LE and HLE due to factors such as random fluctuations in the number of deaths and the age at death. Also, in any small area where the population is changing significantly (rising or falling), the calculated mortality rates and LE may be less reliable as the population estimates may not yet fully reflect this change.
 
If a small area has a low LE at birth, there may be particular reasons for this. For example, the area may include nursing homes, hostels or other long-term care establishments which may serve people with poorer than average health and lower LE, many of whom may have come from other parts of Scotland.

DETAILED FINDINGS

This section highlights a few key findings:

Scotland

  • Both LE and HLE at birth have improved in Scotland over recent years. The average boy born in 2007 would be expected to live to 75 years, 68 of these in 'good' health. The average girl born in 2007 would be expected to live to 80 years, 70 of them in 'good' health.
  • However, the gap between LE and HLE has also increased over recent years, meaning that more years are now expected to be spent in 'not good' health during a lifetime (7 years for men and 10 for women).
  • Although women still live longer than men, and longer in 'good' health, men have been slowly catching up with women between 1980 and 2007.
  • There are considerable variations in LE and HLE at birth among different geographical and socio-economic groups within Scotland.


NHS boards, CHPs and small areas

  • Over the period 1999-2003, of the 14 NHS boards in Scotland, Orkney and Borders had the highest male HLE at birth, and Greater Glasgow & Clyde the lowest.  For females, Orkney was highest and Greater Glasgow & Clyde lowest.
  • Of the 40 CHPs in Scotland, East Dunbartonshire, Aberdeenshire and Perth & Kinross all had the highest male HLE at birth, and North Glasgow and East Glasgow the lowest.  For females, Orkney was highest and North Glasgow and East Glasgow lowest.
  • Limited analyses were undertaken by small area for LE but not HLE, and some small areas were excluded because of small numbers. Among those intermediate geographies which were not excluded, LE at birth ranged from 58 to 87 years for males and from 68 to 90 years for females over 4 time periods.

Deprivation

  • The average boy born in the period 1999-2003 in the least deprived tenth of the Scottish population would be expected to live to 79 years, 75 of these in 'good' health and 4 in 'not good' health.  This compares with a boy born in the most deprived tenth of the population being expected to live to 66 years, 55 of them in 'good' health and 11 in 'not good' health.
  • The average girl born in this period in the least deprived tenth of the Scottish population would be expected to live to 82 years, 77 of these in 'good' health and 5 in 'not good' health.  This compares with a girl born in the most deprived tenth of the population being expected to live to 74 years, 61 of them in 'good' health and 13 in 'not good' health.

Rurality

  • For both boys and girls born in 1999-2003, those from remote rural areas would on average be expected to live 2-3 years longer (and nearly 6 years longer in 'good' health) than those from large urban areas. This may be partly due to the lower levels of deprivation in rural than urban areas.

UK and international comparisons

  • Both LE and HLE are lower in Scotland than in the UK as a whole.
  • Scotland also compares poorly within Western Europe for LE (comparable data are lacking for HLE).

-----------------------------------------------------------------

MAIN CONTACTS:

Dr Alison Burlison
Senior Information Analyst
0131 275 6216

Jennifer Bishop
ScotPHO Programme Principal (acting)
0131 275 6063

-----------------------------------------------------------------

GLOSSARY:

Life expectancy (LE) is an estimate of how many years a person might be expected to live. Healthy life expectancy (HLE) is an estimate of how many years they might live in 'good' health.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------

PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

Scottish Government - Policy Division and Analytical Services Division of Health Finance Directorate, General Register Office for Scotland, Office for National Statistics, University of Leicester, Glasgow Centre for Population Health, MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, NHS Health Scotland, Chief Executives of NHS boards.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------

HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published: New publication
Next Due: 2009

 


Main contact: Email Alison Burlison