Demography and health indicators: years of potential life lost: 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 and health indicators: years of potential life lost

Sample item

Using 65 years as the reference age, two deaths occur in a community at ages 25 and 50 years. What is the total number of years of potential life lost?

A75B130C55D15

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. 55

Years of potential life lost is the sum, over all premature deaths, of the reference age minus the age at death. Here (65 - 25) + (65 - 50) = 40 + 15 = 55. It gives more weight to deaths at younger ages than a simple death count does.

Option by option

A. 75
This simply adds the two ages at death, which is not a measure of years lost.
B. 130
This doubles the reference age of 65 without subtracting the ages at death.
C. 55 (correct)
Correct. Forty plus fifteen years gives 55.
D. 15
This counts only the years lost by the older person who died at 50.

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 C, 55. Years of potential life lost is the sum, over all premature deaths, of the reference age minus the age at death.

Why is "75" not the answer?

This simply adds the two ages at death, which is not a measure of years lost.

Why is "130" not the answer?

This doubles the reference age of 65 without subtracting the ages at death.

Why is "15" not the answer?

This counts only the years lost by the older person who died at 50.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Demography and health indicators: years of potential life lost in PSM. Here (65 - 25) + (65 - 50) = 40 + 15 = 55. It gives more weight to deaths at younger ages than a simple death count does.

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 and health indicators: years of potential life lost?

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.