Trends in life expectancy and life disparity in Turkiye before and during the Covid-19 period

Abstract

Objective: This descriptive study examines Turkiye's life expectancy trends from 2013 to 2022, encompassing the COVID-19 period. Methods: This study used the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) cause of death data and explored trends in life expectancy and life disparity by using the line-integral decomposition model. Results: According to results, before the pandemic, increased male life expectancy and reduced disparity resulted from improved outcomes in unintentional injuries and malignant neoplasms during adulthood. Female life expectancy gains were driven by declining cardiovascular diseases in old age. However, during COVID-19, males experienced a greater loss of life expectancy than females in youth and adulthood, while females faced higher mortality rates in old age than males. The pandemic has exacerbated the female-male gap in life expectancy and disparity, with all causes of death increasing except for an improvement in malignant neoplasms among males. Conclusion: The study suggests prioritizing policies that address the health challenges faced by elderly females and young/adult males to mitigate the pandemic's impact on public health.