Social inequalities in disability-free life expectancy in the french male population, 1980-1991

We calculate aggregate indicators of population health for occupational gro ups to gauge changes in health disparities during the 1980-1991 period. The study is based on the experiences of French adult men in three major occup ational classes: managers, manual workers, and an intermediary occupational group. Life table models show that managers have longer life expectancy an d disability free life expectancy (DFLE) than manual workers, and a shorter life expectancy with disability. The concurrent increases in life expectan cy and DFLE during the period maintained the occupational disparities in he alth; the years lived with disability, however declined for all groups, as for the entire French population.