Demography: healthy life expectancy: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Demography: healthy life expectancy

Sample item

Health-adjusted (healthy) life expectancy differs from simple life expectancy at birth in that it:

ASubtracts years lived in ill health or disabilityBCounts only years free of infectionCCounts only years lived after age 60DIs calculated only from infant deaths

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Subtracts years lived in ill health or disability

HALE adjusts expected total years of life for time spent in less than full health, giving the number of years a person can expect to live in good health.

Option by option

A. Subtracts years lived in ill health or disability (correct)
Correct. It discounts years in poor health.
B. Counts only years free of infection
It considers all health states, not only infection.
C. Counts only years lived after age 60
It is not limited to older age.
D. Is calculated only from infant deaths
It uses age-specific mortality and morbidity, not only infant deaths.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is A, Subtracts years lived in ill health or disability. HALE adjusts expected total years of life for time spent in less than full health, giving the number of years a person can expect to live in good health.

Why is "Counts only years free of infection" not the answer?

It considers all health states, not only infection.

Why is "Counts only years lived after age 60" not the answer?

It is not limited to older age.

Why is "Is calculated only from infant deaths" not the answer?

It uses age-specific mortality and morbidity, not only infant deaths.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Demography: healthy life expectancy in PSM. The correct option holds because: Correct. It discounts years in poor health.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Demography: healthy life expectancy?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.