EXAMINATION OF THE CAUSES AND MECHANISMS OF THE INCREASE IN DISABILITY-FREE LIFE EXPECTANCY

From 1981 to 1991, life expectancy at birth in France increased by 2.5 years. Health survey data show that during this 10-year period, disab ility-free life expectancy increased significantly by 3.0 years in mal es and 2.6 years in females. Consequently, the proportion of years liv ed without disability within life expectancy has increased. For exampl e, in males it increased from 86.4% to 87.5% in this time period. Thes e observations show that, contrary to the frequent predictions of ''pa ndemia'' of disabilities or expansion of morbidity, the major increase in life expectancy in France over the past 10 years has been accompan ied by a compression of morbidity. In the present study, the authors e xplore the causes and mechanisms of this positive development.