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Improve the health of Washingtonians

Indicator 2: Improve life expectancy

Measure a: Average Years of Healthy Life Remaining at 20

Description:

Average Years of Healthy Life Remaining at 20

This indicator is calculated by adjusting life expectancy derived from death certificate data with health status measured by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) question "Would you say your health in general is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?" The method used is described in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (CDC-NCHS) Statistical Notes, Number 21, August 2001. The method is slightly modified, because the measure of health status is available only for people age 18 and older. Thus, we calculate years of healthy life (referred to as "healthy life expectancy" in the CDC-NCHS report) as the number of additional years a 20-year-old is expected to live in good, very good or excellent health plus 20 years.

Average Years of Healthy Life Remaining at 20
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
50.7
50.5
50.7
50.6
51.5
51.2
50.7
51.0
50.6
50.2
50.1
51.0

Sources:

Department of Health
U.S. Center for Disease Control