DFLE

Disability-Free Life Expectancy, abbreviated as DFLE, is a demographic and public health metric that estimates the average number of years a person can expect to live without disability. Calculated from life table data together with information on the prevalence or incidence of disability, DFLE is often reported from birth or from a given starting age to reflect healthy aging.

DFLE combines length of life with the burden of disability, providing a measure of not only how long people live but how long they live without functional limitations. It is commonly derived using methods such as the Sullivan method, which integrates age-specific disability prevalence with a life table, or through multistate life table approaches that model transitions between states of disability and non-disability over time. Data for DFLE typically come from national health surveys, censuses, and other population assessments that include disability or functional status indicators.

In practice, DFLE is related to and sometimes discussed alongside other health expectancy measures, such as Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE) and Active Life Expectancy. Differences in disability definitions, data sources, and methodology mean that DFLE estimates can vary across countries and studies, so careful interpretation and cross-study comparability are important.

Applications of DFLE include assessing population health, monitoring aging trajectories, and informing policy planning for healthcare, long-term care, and social support systems. Limitations arise from varying disability measures, potential survey biases, and assumptions underlying the estimation methods. DFLE serves as a complementary perspective to conventional life expectancy, emphasizing quality of life and functional ability in aging populations. See also life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, Sullivan method, and multistate life tables.