How does it all end? Trends and disparities in health at the end of life.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To consider trends and disparities in end-of-life health in the US.

Methods

I use data from the National Health Interview Survey, linked to death records through 2015, for respondents who died at ages 65+ to compare the prevalence of three health outcomes in the last six years of life across time, sex, age, race, and educational attainment. Self-rated health (SRH) is available for respondents interviewed in years 1987-2014, while information on activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) is available for the period 1997-2014.

Results

By the end of the study period, individuals reported two fewer months of fair/poor health at the end of life than those dying in earlier years. In contrast, time lived with at least one a

SUBMITTER: Vierboom YC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9328500 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature