Life Beyond 65: Changing Spatial Patterns of Survival at Older Ages in the United States, 2000-2016. 2020

Yana C Vierboom, and Samuel H Preston
Population Health Lab, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.

To identify levels and trends in life expectancy at age 65 (e65) by geographic region and metropolitan status in the United States. Using county-level data on population and deaths from the Census and National Center for Health Statistics, we consider spatial inequality in e65 across 4 metropolitan types and 10 geographic regions from 2000 to 2016. We examine whether changes in e65 are driven by mortality developments in metro types or geographic regions, and compare spatial patterns in the United States to mortality trends in other Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. We use decomposition and regression methods to estimate the contributions of 10 causes of death to changes and inequalities in e65. Life expectancy at age 65 increased in all spatial units from 2000 to 2016. Areas with higher e65 in 2000 also experienced larger gains. Longevity increases were greatest in large metropolitan areas and coastal regions. Nonmetropolitan areas and the interior lagged far behind not only other parts of the United States but all OECD comparison countries. Metropolitan status was a better predictor of mortality changes than geographic region. Circulatory diseases and diseases associated with smoking were the principal sources of life expectancy gains and spatial differentiation in those gains. Larger gains in smoking-related mortality accounted for greater improvements among men than women. Even at advanced ages, large geographic disparities in life expectancy remain. And as mortality has declined, these disparities have widened. Public health efforts should pay special attention to identifying and ameliorating the sources of lagging life expectancy in nonmetropolitan regions.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008017 Life Expectancy Based on known statistical data, the number of years which any person of a given age may reasonably be expected to live. Life Extension,Years of Potential Life Lost,Expectancies, Life,Expectancy, Life,Life Expectancies
D008297 Male Males
D009026 Mortality All deaths reported in a given population. CFR Case Fatality Rate,Crude Death Rate,Crude Mortality Rate,Death Rate,Age Specific Death Rate,Age-Specific Death Rate,Case Fatality Rate,Decline, Mortality,Determinants, Mortality,Differential Mortality,Excess Mortality,Mortality Decline,Mortality Determinants,Mortality Rate,Mortality, Differential,Mortality, Excess,Age-Specific Death Rates,Case Fatality Rates,Crude Death Rates,Crude Mortality Rates,Death Rate, Age-Specific,Death Rate, Crude,Death Rates,Determinant, Mortality,Differential Mortalities,Excess Mortalities,Mortalities,Mortality Declines,Mortality Determinant,Mortality Rate, Crude,Mortality Rates,Rate, Age-Specific Death,Rate, Case Fatality,Rate, Crude Death,Rate, Crude Mortality,Rate, Death,Rate, Mortality,Rates, Case Fatality
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000367 Age Factors Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time. Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D012307 Risk Factors An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent. Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D012424 Rural Population The inhabitants of rural areas or of small towns classified as rural. Rural Residence,Rural Communities,Rural Spatial Distribution,Communities, Rural,Community, Rural,Distribution, Rural Spatial,Distributions, Rural Spatial,Population, Rural,Populations, Rural,Residence, Rural,Rural Community,Rural Populations,Rural Residences,Rural Spatial Distributions
D012737 Sex Factors Maleness or femaleness as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from SEX CHARACTERISTICS, anatomical or physiological manifestations of sex, and from SEX DISTRIBUTION, the number of males and females in given circumstances. Factor, Sex,Factors, Sex,Sex Factor

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