Presenter(s):

Xenia Dolja-Gore; Md Mijanur Rahman; Janine Johnston; Julie Byles, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Australia, Australia

Abstract

Objectives: Previous studies have examined the impact of lifestyle factors such as education, obesity, smoking, and lack of exercise on disability and premature mortality1. These studies highlight the importance of adopting healthy practices early in life to reduce the population risk of disability and premature mortality2. By focusing on maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, engaging in regular physical activity and higher levels of education, adults can significantly increase their disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) and total life expectancy (TLE), leading to longer, more active, fulfilling and independent lives.

Aim: Our study will assess the individual and joint impact of these identified risk factors on disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) and total life expectancy (TLE) across three generations of women, including a younger generation of women born 1973-78 (now aged 46-51 years). Furthermore, our study will focus on highlighting the importance of healthy aging policies and practices for younger generations to extend their life expectancies.

Methods: Data from the Australian Longitudinal Study (ALSWH) on Women’s Health and linked National Death Index between 1996-2024 will be used to perform the analysis on the three cohorts including 13,992 participants born 1973-78, using discrete-time multi-state Markov models to assess the impact on DFLE and TLE.

Results: Rahman et al found TLE and DFL losses for women with all risk factors to have almost doubled for the cohort born 1946-51(TLE 11.0; 13.0 years) compared to the cohort born 1921-26 (TLE 5.0; DFLE 6.4 years). However, since risk factor prevalences were lower in the more recent cohort, the overall life expectancies were better. We will extend these previous analyses and predictive models to develop a matrix tool across these two cohorts and the third (more recent) cohort who are currently in mid-life. The matrix will provide a comparison of risk factor impacts on life expectancies to help determine early intervention strategies that can be implemented to benefit public health and improve healthy life.

Conclusion: Individual or co-occurrence of lifestyle risk factors have been observed to be associated with a significant loss of DFLE, with a greater loss across all risk factors in low-educated women in their late 80s and for women aged in their 70s3. As education levels increase across more recent cohorts, other risk factors become more important, especially those prevalent in early adult and mid-life. For younger generations, public health planning, design targeted interventions and allocated resources may be more effective if guided by a developed evidence-based matrix that is defined by longitudinal data sources. Reducing the prevalence of disability and chronic illnesses through best practice and directed support which focuses on healthy aging can assistance to decrease the economic burden and reduce the healthcare costs currently faced globally associated with long-term care and medical treatments.

Bio(s):

Xenia Dolja-Gore (BMath, GDipBiostats, M.Phil Med Sci (Med Stat.), PhD) is a Research Fellow (Biostatistician)/Senior Lecturer (Methods) at The University of Newcastle, Australia focusing on healthy ageing related research areas for over 20 years. She has been awarded two post-doctoral fellowships an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Women’s Health in the 21st Century to examine how changes in the health system impact on women’s health using data from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health and a NSW Ministry of Health Prevention Research Support Program Fellowship (Methods-Biostatistics/Health Economics) originally awarded in (2017-2022 and extended to present) to explore the advancement of health economics and statistical methods applied to implementation and health service improvement. Additionally, her research in healthy ageing focuses on understanding the factors that contribute to successful ageing and the development of interventions to promote health and well-being for all adults.
Her research strengths are the substantial experience in using linked longitudinal health data to identify key areas of quality and efficiency in health service utilisation. Xenia has a very strong methodological skills, with a focus on data quality; the application of causal modelling, with expertise in the analysis of treatment optimisation and identification of the delivery of health services.