Demographic Group: | All resident persons aged >=65 years. |
Numerator: | Not applicable. |
Denominator: | Not applicable. |
Measures of Frequency: | Life expectancy. (Life expectancy at age 65 years is the average number of years remaining to be lived by those surviving to that age on the basis of a given set of age-specific death rates.) |
Time Period of Case Definition: | Lifetime. |
Background: | In 2001, life expectancy among U.S. residents aged 65 years was 18.1 years. It has been increasing in recent years. Life expectancy at age 65 years varies substantially by sex, race, and ethnicity. |
Significance: | Life expectancy at age 65 years reflects health status and health-care access among the elderly. |
Limitations of Indicator: | Indicator does not recognize premature deaths. |
Data Resources: | Data used to estimate death rates from which life expectancy is determined include death certificate data from vital statistics agencies and population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census or suitable alternative.* |
Limitations of Data Resources: | Reporting of age at death varies in quality, especially for older persons. |
Healthy People 2010 Objectives: | No objective. |