Racial Differentials in Longevity and Heath Status

• Main Authors: Hani Guend, Alberto Palloni
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2003
• Subjects: Pacific; aleut
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.15.1691; http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/cde/cdewp/2003-07.pdf

This paper presents a procedure for the simultaneous analysis of the differentials in DFLE and that of DLYs by type of disability using census-based prevalence rates of disability. This approach allows the estimation of indices that measure the magnitude and directions of the differentials in DFLE and DLYs characterized by a specific type of disability, the one characterized by two simultaneous types of disability, and the part of the differential free of disability. The procedure is then applied to analyze changes over time in adult Partial Life Expectancies (PLE) observed among the four major racial groups between the US Censuses of 1980 and 1990, for males and females separately. Partial life expectancy is an age constrained estimation of life expectancy wherein the 3 upper age limit does not correspond to the upper limit of the age span but it is rather chosen by the analyst to correspond to age spans of special interest. The procedure is also applied to analyzing racial differences in adult Disability Free Partial Life Expectancy (DFPLE) between white Americans as a reference group, on one hand, and each of the three other racial groups on the other hand, separately for males and females. The four racial groups are American Indians, Esquimo/Aleut (Native Americans); Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Asian Americans); black Americans; and white Americans; as defined in the US Censuses of 1980 and 1990. Public Use Microdata Sample files (PUMS 1%) of both censuses were used to extract the data needed for the computation of prevalence rates of disability as well as for the construction of the period life tables. The complete counts of deaths come from vital statistics data and a 3-year average is used for the construction of the life tables underlying this compari.