Abstract
This study aimed to estimate and compare life expectancy at birth among people with and without officially registered disabilities in Korea between 2004 and 2017. We used the National Health Information Database in Korea to obtain aggregate data on the numbers of population and deaths according to calendar year (2004 to 2017), sex, age groups, and officially registered disability status. A total of 697,503,634 subjects and 3,536,778 deaths, including 33,221,916 disabled subjects (829,464 associated deaths), were used to construct life tables. Between 2004 and 2017, life expectancy for people with disabilities increased by 9.1 years in men and 8.3 years in women, while life expectancy for the non-disabled increased by 5.5 years in men and 4.6 years in women. The average life expectancy difference between non-disabled and disabled people was 18.2 years during the study period, decreasing from 20.4 years in 2004 to 16.4 years in 2017. In 2017, the life expectancy of people with the most severe grade of disabilities was 49.7 years, while the life expectancy of people with the least severe grade of disabilities was 77.7 years. The government should implement more effective policies to protect the health of people with officially registered disabilities.
Highlights
The number of people with disabilities has increased globally in recent decades and is likely to increase substantially with population aging [1]
Between 2004 and 2017, life expectancy increased in both people with disabilities and non-disabled people, but the magnitude of the increase was greater in disabled people
Life expectancy for people with disabilities increased by 9.1 years in men and 8.3 years in women, respectively, while life expectancy for the non-disabled increased by 5.5 years in men and 4.6 years in women, respectively (Table 1)
Summary
The number of people with disabilities has increased globally in recent decades and is likely to increase substantially with population aging [1]. In South Korea (hereafter “Korea”), registered individuals with disabilities accounted for 2.4% of the total Korean population in 2001, which gradually increased to 4.9% in 2016. Since 2013, more than 40% of the registered disabled people in Korea are aged 65 or older [2]. Apart from the disabilities themselves, people with disabilities have a greater prevalence of chronic diseases than non-disabled people, which is attributable to poverty, immobility, poor health behaviors, and the psychosocial distress associated with disabilities [1]. They often have more than one chronic condition at the same time [1,3].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
