Healthy Life Expectancy in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India: Applying the Sullivan Method

The objective of this study is to estimate the healthy life expectancy using different measures of state of health, based on information from the Survey carried out in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The Sullivan method is currently the one most commonly used for estimating healthy life expectancy by combining information on mortality and morbidity. The Sullivan health expectancy reflects the current health of a real population adjusted for mortality levels and independent of age structure. The results show that the percentage of difference in life expectancy with disability is larger than that of life expectancy free of disability. Women at age 60 had 25 per cent more years of life compared to men. The higher number of healthy years lost if there is a disability that limits daily activities. Women spent their remaining life after age 60 with disability was 151 per cent longer than men, while their gains in years free of disability were only 11 per cent more than men. The proportion of healthy years lost increases significantly with age and that, although females have higher life expectancy than males, they live proportionally less years in good health.