Disability in Childhood, Special Education Histories, and Lifetime Health Outcomes in the United States

TitleDisability in Childhood, Special Education Histories, and Lifetime Health Outcomes in the United States
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsLaditka, SB, Laditka, JN, Hoyle, JN
JournalJournal of Aging and Health
Volume33
Issue10
Pagination919-930
ISBN Number0898-2643
Keywordsdependency, developmental delay, developmental disability, Life Expectancy, Mortality
Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated special education as an indicator of childhood disability and used that indicator to estimate lifetime dependency and life expectancy. Methods: Data: Panel Study of Income Dynamics and Health and Retirement Study (n = 20,563). Dependency: Nursing home care or equivalent. Analysis: We first analyzed special education as an indicator of childhood disability; multinomial logistic Markov models and microsimulation then compared populations with and without childhood disability. Results: Special education history was a valid indicator of childhood disability. For example, with parents who did not complete high school, 3.8% with no special education history were dependent at least 5 years of adult life; that result with special education was 15.2%. Life expectancy from age 20 was 58.3 years without special education, 46.0 years with special education (both p < .05). Discussion: Special education history can indicate childhood disability. People with that history had significantly a more dependency than others and significantly shorter lives.

DOI10.1177/08982643211018918
Citation Key11608
PubMed ID33998309