HEALTH EXPECTANCY CALCULATIONS - A NOVEL-APPROACH TO STUDYING POPULATION HEALTH IN BULGARIA

The measurement of life expectancy in terms of either good or poor hea lth is a novel approach to studying the health of the population in Bu lgaria. The pilot study reported here - carried out among people aged greater than or equal to 60 years in a middle-sized Bulgarian town - w as designed to obtain information on the years of functional restricti ons expected among the elderly. In accordance with the answers to a se ries of questions (recommended by WHO), subjects were categorized as d isabled, handicapped, or having different states of perceived health. The indicators ''disability-free life expectancy'', ''handicap-free li fe expectancy'' and ''healthy life expectancy'' (based on self-perceiv ed health) were calculated according to Sullivan's method. The results show, for example, that 8.0 of the 16.0 years that men aged 60 years may expect to live, on average, will be free of disability. For men ag ed 80 years the figures are 1.3 of 5.5 years. For women at 60 years an d 80 years the results are 7.3 and 0.5 disability-free years of 19.2 a nd 7.3 expected life years, respectively. Similar results were found f or handicap-free life expectancies and healthy life expectancies. At a ll ages, the proportion of life in a condition free of disability, fre e of handicap, or in perceived good health is substantially lower for women than for men. Women may expect to live longer, but a greater pro portion of their life will be spent in poor health. The approach prese nted here for measuring the health status of the elderly may be helpfu l as an aid to planning medical and social care and for the developmen t of public health policies.