LAUSR

Results | The total number of healthy older adults in the United States increased from 14.0 million (42.4% of all older adults) in 2000 to 22.4 million (48.2% of all older adults) in 2014. The rate of healthy older adults increased from 426 per 1000 population in 2000 to 485 per 1000 population in 2014 (P < .001 for trend). The ageand sex-adjusted rate of healthy older adults differed significantly by race/ethnicity, level of educational attainment, and family annual income level (Table). Across the entire period, older non-Hispanic white individuals were more likely to report being healthy, and that rate increased over time, from 442 per 1000 population in 2000 to 533 per 1000 population in 2015 (Figure). Those with higher educational attainment had the greatest gains in the rate of healthy older adults; for instance, among those with a graduate or advanced degree, the rate increased by 56 per 1000 population from 2000 to 2014. Older adults in the highest level of family annual income exhibited the highest rate of reporting themselves to be healthy over the entire period and increased steadily from 490 per 1000 population in 2000 to 603 per 1000 population in 2014.