The Administration on Aging and the Office of
Public Health and Science jointly chaired this first
cross-cutting review of progress on Healthy People 2000
objectives for older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, provided an
overview of the status of selected objectives from several
priority areas:
8.1c The Years of Healthy Life (YHL) measure incorporates
life expectancy and data on self-perceived health status and
restricted activity due to chronic conditions. Provisional 1994
data show that YHL remaining at age 65 was 11.9 years. For women
life expectancy is greater, but there are also more years of
"unhealthy" life.
9.3c Motor vehicle crash death rates among people aged 70
and older have shown no overall improvement. This contrasts with
a substantial decrease in mortality from motor vehicle crashes
among the population as a whole.
9.4a,b Since 1987, fall-related mortality rates have
stayed about the same for people aged 65-84, but for those aged
85 and over the rate has risen from 133 per 100,000 in 1987 to
149.5 in 1993.
9.6b Rates of fire-related deaths have declined somewhat
among the population as a whole and among people aged 65 and over
(from 4.9 per 100,000 in 1987 to 3.7 in 1993 for older adults).
9.7 Rates of hospitalization due to hip fractures have
increased for all people aged 65 and over and reached 841 per
100,000 in 1993.
9.7a In 1994, there were 2.8 hospitalizations for hip
fracture for every 100 white women aged 85 and older.
6.1c Suicide rates among white men aged 65 and older have
declined from 46.7 per 100,000 in 1987 to 40.9 in 1993.
16.11d The proportion of women aged 70 and over who have
received a clinical breast exam and a mammogram in the past 2
years has increased from 18 percent in 1987 to 44 percent in
1993.
16.12b The proportion of women aged 70 and older who
received a pap test in the past 3 years increased from 44 percent
in 1987 to 54 percent in 1993.
20.11 The proportion of adults aged 65 and older who have
ever been vaccinated for pneumococcal pneumonia increased from 14
percent in 1989 to 28 percent in 1993. The proportion who
received flu vaccine in the preceding year improved from 30
percent in 1989 to 52 percent in 1993.
20.2 Even with those immunization improvements,
epidemic-related pneumonia and influenza deaths have increased.
The rate of epidemic-related deaths over the 1987-88 through the
1989-90 flu seasons was higher than the baseline, which is an
average of the rates during the flu seasons between 1979 and
1987.
17.6 The prevalence of hearing impairment has increased
slightly over the last 10 years. Among people aged 45 and over,
21 percent had hearing impariment in 1992-94.
17.7 The prevalence of visual impairment has shown no
improvement. Of people aged 65 and over, 1 percent had visual
impairment in 1992-94.
13.4 The proportion of people aged 65 and over who have
lost all their teeth has declined from the baseline of 36 percent
in 1986 to 30 percent in 1993.
13.14b There has been an increase in the proportion of
older adults who have visited a dentist in the past year from 42
percent in 1986 to 51 percent in 1993.
Other objectives address health concerns of great importance for
the health of older adults but target the population as a whole.
Leading causes of death for
people aged 65 and older
rates per 100,000
Cause of Death | 1987 | 1993 |
Heart disease | 2075 | 1891 |
Cancer | 1060 | 1134 |
Stroke | 435 | 401 |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 216 | 264 |
Pneumonia and influenza | 203 | 225 |
Diabetes | 95 | 124 |
Unintentional injuries | 87 | 85 |
PARTICIPANTS
Administration on Aging
American Association of Retired Persons
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration
Health Care Financing Administration
Health Resources and Services Administration
Indian Health Service
Montgomery County (MD) Area Agency on Aging
National Association of State Units on Aging
National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc.
The National Council on the Aging, Inc.
National Institutes of Health
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office of Minority Health
Office of Public Health and Science
Office on Women's Health
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Virginia Department for the Aging
Assistant Secretary for Health
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