Life Expectancy of Persons with Disability in Italy: Estimation Based on an Administrative Cohort from 1999 to 2012

Background: Estimates of life expectancy of people with disabilities are scarce and tend to focus on individuals with specific diseases. The health conditions of people with disabilities are often very poor, which is reflected in their significantly lower life expectancy compared to the rest of the population. Objectives: This study aims to estimate the life expectancy of people with severe disabilities in Italy. Methods: Data from the 1999–2000 Health Interview Survey, linked to the register of causes of death up to 2012, were utilized for the purpose of this study. Survival was analyzed using a Weibull regression model. Hazard ratios for subjects with and without disabilities were employed to estimate the mortality risk among subjects with disabilities compared to all surveyed subjects. These ratios were then employed to construct a life table for people with disabilities by multiplying the death probabilities of the general population by the ratio. Results: The life expectancy at 15 years for people with disabilities was found to be 59.1 years for males and 66.2 years for females. The life expectancy (LE) gap between people with disabilities and the general population at 15 years was 6.6 years for men and 4.1 years for women. Conclusions: These findings provide reliable and robust information on the life expectancy gap between people with and without disabilities and can be used as a reference point when evaluating policies aimed at people with disabilities.