Understanding Japan's mortality advantage: a comparison of mortality in independent and dependent older adults in Japan and Sweden.

Shunsuke Murata, Marcus Ebeling, Rei Ono, Megumi Maeda, Katharina Schmidt-Mende, Haruhisa Fukuda, Karin Modig

Unit of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, Stockholm, 17177, Sweden. [email protected] of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, Stockholm, 17177, Sweden. [email protected]. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

A fundamental public health goal is that all individuals have the opportunity to reach old age with adequate care and support. Japan is the global leader in longevity, and understanding whether this advantage exists primarily in healthy older adults or those relying on long-term care (LTC) can reveal if it stems from a healthier population or more extensive, and potentially higher-quality, healthcare provision. This study examined Japan's mortality advantage by comparing life expectancy and death rates in Japan and Sweden across different levels of LTC.

The following analysis is generated by AI and may contain errors. It is separate from the authors’ abstract and is not peer review.

Research summary

The paper claims that Japan's mortality advantage may be influenced by the health status of older adults and the quality of long-term care. This research is relevant as it explores factors contributing to longevity and health in aging populations, which can inform public health strategies.

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