Factors Affecting Life Expectancy: Evidence From 1980-2009 Data in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand

The authors aim to examine the impact of demographic changes, socioeconomic inequality, and the availability of health care resources on life expectancy in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This is a cross-country study collecting annual data from 3 Southeast Asian countries from 1980 to 2008. Life...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Asia-Pacific journal of public health 2015-03, Vol.27 (2), p.136-146
Main Authors: Chan, Moon Fai, Devi, M. Kamala
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asia, Southeastern
Developing Countries - statistics & numerical data
Female
Health Status Disparities
Healthcare Disparities
Humans
Life Expectancy
Malaysia - epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
Singapore - epidemiology
Socioeconomic Factors
Thailand - epidemiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The authors aim to examine the impact of demographic changes, socioeconomic inequality, and the availability of health care resources on life expectancy in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This is a cross-country study collecting annual data from 3 Southeast Asian countries from 1980 to 2008. Life expectancy is the dependent variable with demographics, socioeconomic status, and health care resources as the 3 main determinants. A structural equation model is used, and results show that the availability of more health care resources and higher levels of socioeconomic advantages are more likely to increase life expectancy. In contrast, demographic changes are more likely to increase life expectancy by way of health care resources. The authors suggest that more effort should be taken to expand and improve the coverage of health care programs to alleviate regional differences in health care use and improve the overall health status of people in these 3 Southeast Asian countries.
ISSN:1010-5395
1941-2479
DOI:10.1177/1010539512454163