2008 Volume 30 Issue 3 Pages 383-392
The objectives of this study were to propose the usefulness of the elderly age-adjusted certification proportion for long-term care need (divided into mild long－term care need and severe long-term care need) for long-term care insurance, weighted disability prevalence (WDP), and disability-adjusted life expectancy (DALE) as health indicators for the elderly, to confirm the convergent validity of these indicators, and to clarify factors associated with these indicators as an example of practical use. The convergent validity was investigated by Spearman rank correlation coefficient between certification proportion for mild long－term care need, certification proportion for severe long-term care need, age-adjusted WDP, DALE at age 65, and disability-free life expectancy. The relationships of health indicators, socioeconomic, and demographic factors with the health indicators for the elderly were examined by the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The convergent validity of certification proportion for mild long－term care need, certification proportion for severe long-term care need, WDP, and DALE was confirmed, and the male and female certification proportions for mild long-term care need were correlated with many socioeconomic indicators. In conclusion, our proposal that these terms should be used as health indicators for the elderly is appropriate, and these indicators are considered to be useful indicators for planning, evaluation, and decision-making in health and welfare policy for the elderly at local and regional levels.
