Trends and variation in health and senescence among the elderly in Norway

Abstract

This thesis investigates two aspects of health in older ages, namely functional limitations and disability, and the influence of educational level on mortality and life expectancy.

Functional limitations and mild disabilities declined between 1986 and 2008, leading to absolute and relative compression of these states at the end of life. There were sociodemographic inequalities in these outcomes throughout this period.

While mortality declined independent of educational level between 1961 and 2009, educational mortality inequalities persisted and educational differences in life expectancy at age 65 increased. Relative mortality inequalities increased, implying that whatever the causes of progress, the lower educated benefited proportionally less from them. Detailed sex- and education-specific mortality development patterns suggest variation in timing and impact of causal factors.

Moe argues that improvements in physiological reserve capacity might have postponed the population’s mortality and disability schedules towards our biological potential for healthy longevity. Nevertheless, persisting health inequalities indicate a potential for further population health improvements.