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Gender and educational inequalities in disability-free life expectancy among older adults living in Italian regions

Author

Listed:
  • Margherita Moretti

    (Helsingin Yliopisto (University of Helsinki))

  • Cosmo Strozza

    (Syddansk Universitet)

Abstract

Background: Italy’s life expectancy at age 65 is one of the highest in Europe, but its disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) is not so high. To understand this diverging pattern of longevity and health it is essential to consider indicators accounting for both mortality and morbidity, and to analyse the gender, social, and geographical inequities characterising them. Objective: The aim is to quantify the gender, social, and geographical inequalities in DFLE among Italian older adults and analyse the age-specific contribution of mortality and morbidity to those inequalities. Methods: This study draws on census-linked mortality data and disability prevalence for the years 2012–2014. DFLE at age 65 in Italian regions is computed by gender and educational attainment using the Sullivan method. Age-specific mortality–morbidity contributions to the gender and educational gaps in DFLE are calculated using the stepwise decomposition method. Results: Although at the national level older women and men share similar DFLE, these estimates hide important geographical and social inequalities. Women’s health disadvantage completely outweighs their life expectancy advantage, resulting in lower DFLE. Educational inequalities in health are far more dramatic than those in mortality and the disadvantage in DFLE accumulates over education and region of residence. Conclusions: In Italy notable differences in DFLE are found between genders and between educational groups, suggesting the need for better health policies aimed at reducing inequalities. Contribution: This study provides novel empirical findings on gender, educational, and geographical inequalities in DFLE for Italian older adults and explains how age-specific mortality and morbidity contribute to shaping these inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Margherita Moretti & Cosmo Strozza, 2022. "Gender and educational inequalities in disability-free life expectancy among older adults living in Italian regions," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 47(29), pages 919-934.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:47:y:2022:i:29
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2022.47.29
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Imai, Kosuke & Soneji, Samir, 2007. "On the Estimation of Disability-Free Life Expectancy: Sullivan's Method and Its Extension," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 102, pages 1199-1211, December.
    2. Anne Case & Christina Paxson, 2005. "Sex differences in morbidity and mortality," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(2), pages 189-214, May.
    3. Pilar Zueras & Elisenda Rentería, 2020. "Trends in disease-free life expectancy at age 65 in Spain: Diverging patterns by sex, region and disease," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-15, November.
    4. Ilya Kashnitsky & José Manuel Aburto, 2019. "Geofaceting: Aligning small-multiples for regions in a spatially meaningful way," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(17), pages 477-490.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lanfiuti Baldi, Giacomo & Nigri, Andrea & Trias-Llimos, Sergi & Barbi, Elisabetta, 2025. "The decline of ‘Deaths of Despair’ in Italy: unveiling this phenomenon in a new context," SocArXiv jnq2e, Center for Open Science.
    2. Cosmo Strozza & Viviana Egidi & Maria Rita Testa & Graziella Caselli, 2024. "Ageing and diversity: Inequalities in longevity and health in low-mortality countries," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 50(12), pages 347-376.
    3. Margherita Moretti & Elisa Cisotto & Alessandra De Rose, 2024. "Uncovering disability-free grandparenthood in Italy between 1998 and 2016 using gender-specific decomposition," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 50(42), pages 1247-1264.

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    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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