Changes in the health of elderly Japanese between 1987 and 1999

Yasuhiko Saito, Nihon University

In a number of countries changes in health over the past two decades have been documented. For instance, in both France and the United States disability decreased over the last two decades but the prevalence of some major diseases increased. We examine changes in three dimensions of health of the elderly Japanese over a 12 year period: diseases/conditions/impairments, functional loss, and disability employing two nationally representative sample surveys conducted among older persons in Japan. The questions we address are: 1) Were there changes in these three dimensions of health over the period? 2) Did health improve or deteriorate among the elderly in Japan between 1987 and 1999? 2) Did the relationship among the three dimensions of health change over the period?