Does living longer mean living healthier? Exploring Disability Free Life Expectancy in India

During the last century, India experienced drastic improvement in life expectancy. Did the extra years gained to the life expectancy have really improved the quality of life? Such question becomes prominent when one considers the changes in morbidity. So far, no study has been available by combining mortality and morbidity changes to a single index by representing health status in India. This paper is an exploration of quality of life by using Disability Free Life Expectancy (DFLE) rates in India. It followed methodology forwarded by Sullivan (1971). It used three levels of disability rates -perceived morbidity, restricted activity and also confined to bed by using the data from SRS and NSSO. It found that DFLE is declined in higher rates in advanced states indicating a considerable decline in the quality of life with the advancement in life expectancy, especially to the older ages. Females and urbanites have considerable decline in quality of life than that of males and rural people. The study also found that prominent role of chronic/degenerative diseases in losses in DFLE. All the three levels of disability for DFLE found similar pattern. It concludes that mere increase in longevity does not mean better life. It is high time for India to have effective interventions to improve the quality of life along with life expectancy.