Description for Chart 6
Life expectancy gains and losses, by health behaviours, Ontarians aged 20 and
older, 2007
This vertical bar chart illustrates the gains and losses in life expectancy
by health behaviours among Ontarians aged 20 and older in 2007.
The Y axis measures life expectancy in years, and increases by increments of
5 from 67 to 92.
Along the X axis health behaviours are listed. From left to right, smoking;
alcohol; physical activity; diet; stress; and the combination of all five risk
factors.
The average life expectancy of Ontarians aged 20 and older in 2007 is 81.8 years,
represented by a horizontal line across the graph. Bars above this line indicate
gains in life expectancy for individuals without the behaviour, while bars below
this line indicate losses in life expectancy for individuals with high levels
of the unhealthy behaviour. The difference between the value above the line
and below the line indicates the difference in life expectancy between those
engaging in the risky behaviour and those with none of the risky behaviour.
Heavy smoking subtracted approximately 8.8 years, for a life expectancy of 73.0
years.
Non-smoking added 2.7 years of life expectancy, for a life expectancy of 84.6
years.
Therefore, the difference that existed between Ontarians aged 20 and older who
smoked compared with non-smokers was 11.5 years.
Unhealthy alcohol consumption subtracted approximately 1.7 years, for a life
expectancy of 80.2 years.
Healthy alcohol consumption added approximately 3.1 years, for a life expectancy
of 84.9 years. Therefore, the difference that existed between Ontarians aged
20 and older with unhealthy compared with healthy alcohol consumption 4.8 years.
Physical inactivity subtracted approximately 1.5 years, for a life expectancy
of 80.4 years.
Physical activity added approximately 3.1 years, for a life expectancy of 85.0
years.
Therefore, the difference that existed between Ontarians aged 20 and older who
were active compared with inactive was 4.6 years.
Inadequate diet subtracted approximately 4.0 years, for a life expectancy of
77.9 years.
An adequate diet added approximately 3.2 years, for a life expectancy of 85.0
years.
Therefore, the difference that existed between Ontarians aged 20 and older who
had an adequate compared with an inadequate diet was 7.2 years.
High levels of stress subtracted approximately 2.1 years, for a life expectancy
of 79.7 years.
Low stress added approximately 0.4 years, for a life expectancy of 82.2 years.
Therefore, the difference that existed between Ontarians aged 20 and older who
had high levels of stress compared with low stress was 2.5 years.
The combined impact of engaging in all five risky behaviours subtracted approximately
11.8 years, for a life expectancy of 70.0 years.
Those who were not exposed to all five risky health behaviours added approximately
8.7 years, for a life expectancy of 90.6 years.
Therefore, the difference that existed between Ontarians aged 20 and older who
were exposed to all five risky health behaviours compared with those who were
not was 20.6 years.
Source: Manuel DG, Perez R, Bennett C, et al. Seven more years: The impact of smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity and stress on health and life expectancy in Ontario. An ICES/PHO Report. Toronto: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario; 2012. Page 25.
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