Revisiting Mobility Limitations of Seniors in Singapore, 1995 to 2011

Singapore’s life expectancy at birth and at age 65 continues to improve. Although this is a positive development, it is necessary to understand how much of this increased life expectancy is spent with and without mobility limitations. This research uses the latest round of the National Survey of Senior Citizens to examine the situation in 2011 and the possible changes that may have occurred since the last survey in 2005. It seeks to add to earlier research in this area in Singapore and uses the prevalence-based Sullivan method to calculate lifetime free of mobility limitations for this population. Pertinent conclusions drawn from this research include evidence pointing to changing prevalence rates among the older adult population and observations that suggest the possibility of a compression of morbidity for this population in 2011 compared with an expansion of morbidity observed in the previous survey conducted in 2005. The research also shows that women continue to be disadvantaged as they age compared with men.