Term: Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL)

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Glossary Definition

Last Updated: 2013-10-30

Definition:

PYLL is an indicator of early death (before age 75) that gives greater weight to deaths occurring at a younger age than to those at later ages. PYLL emphasizes the loss of the potential contribution that younger individuals can make to society. By emphasizing the loss of life at an early age, PYLL focuses attention on the need to deal with the major causes of early deaths, such as injury, in order to improve health status. This indicator has some similarity to premature mortality and life expectancy, but PYLL is more sensitive to deaths at younger ages (beyond infancy). For example, the death of a 50 year old contributes "1 death" to premature mortality, but "25 years" to PYLL; whereas the death of a 70 year old also contributes "1 death" to premature mortality, but only "5 years" to PYLL.

This indicator measures the age- and sex-adjusted average annual number of years between age at death and age of 75 for the population 1 to 74 years old. For each death, the PYLL value is calculated as: PYLL = 75 - age at death. The denominator includes all Manitoba residents 1 to 74 years old.

PYLL has been found to vary with characteristics such as sex, socio-economic status and place of residence.

NOTE : some "older" studies use age 70 for calculating years of life lost.

Related concepts 

• Health Indicators: Indicators of Health Status and Healthcare Use
• Health Status Indicators
• MCHP SAS® Macros

Related terms 

• Area-Based Socio-economic Measure (ABSM)
• Health Status Series
• Life Expectancy
• Mortality
• Premature Mortality
• Premature Mortality Rate (PMR)
• Standardized Mortality / Morbidity Ratio (SMR)

References 

• Fransoo R, Martens P, The Need to Know Team, Prior H, Burchill C, Koseva I, Bailly A, Allegro E. The 2013 RHA Indicators Atlas. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2013. [Report] [Summary] [Additional Materials] (View)

Term used in 

• Brownell M, Lix L, Ekuma O, Derksen S, Dehaney S, Bond R, Fransoo R, MacWilliam L, Bodnarchuk J. Why is the Health Status of Some Manitobans Not Improving? The Widening Gap in the Health Status of Manitobans. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2003. [Report] [Summary] (View)
• Chateau D, Metge C, Prior H, Soodeen RA. Learning from the census: The socio-economic factor index (SEFI) and health outcomes in Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Public Health 2012;103(Suppl 2):S23-S27. [Abstract] [Report] (View)
• Finlayson GS, Forget E, Ekuma O, Derksen S, Bond R, Martens P, De Coster C. Allocating Funds for Healthcare in Manitoba Regional Health Authorities: A First Step--Population-Based Funding. Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2007. [Report] [Summary] (View)
• Fransoo R, Martens P, Burland E, The Need to Know Team, Prior H, Burchill C. Manitoba RHA Indicators Atlas 2009. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2009. [Report] [Summary] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Fransoo R, Martens P, The Need to Know Team, Burland E, Prior H, Burchill C, Chateau D, Walld R. Sex Differences in Health Status, Health Care Use, and Quality of Care: A Population-Based Analysis for Manitoba's Regional Health Authorities. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2005. [Report] [Summary] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Fransoo R, Mahar A, The Need to Know Team, Anderson A, Prior H, Koseva I, McCulloch S, Jarmasz J, Burchill S. The 2019 RHA Indicators Atlas. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2019. [Report] [Summary] [Updates and Errata] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Martens P, Brownell M, Au W, MacWiliam L, Prior H, Schultz J, Guenette W, Elliott L, Buchan S, Anderson M, Caetano P, Metge C, Santos R, Serwonka K. Health Inequities in Manitoba: Is the Socioeconomic Gap in Health Widening or Narrowing Over Time? Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2010. [Report] [Summary] [Updates and Errata] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Martens P, Nickel N, Forget E, Lix L, Turner D, Prior H, Walld R, Soodeen RA, Rajotte L, Ekuma O. The Cost of Smoking: A Manitoba Study. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2015. [Report] [Summary] [Updates and Errata] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Martens PJ, Fransoo R, McKeen N, The Need to Know Team, Burland E, Jebamani L, Burchill C, De Coster C, Ekuma O, Prior H, Chateau D, Robinson R, Metge C. Patterns of Regional Mental Illness Disorder Diagnoses and Service Use in Manitoba: A Population-Based Study. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2004. [Report] [Summary] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Martens PJ, Bartlett J, Burland E, Prior H, Burchill C, Huq S, Romphf L, Sanguins J, Carter S, Bailly A. Profile of Metis Health Status and Healthcare Utilization in Manitoba: A Population-Based Study. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2010. [Report] [Summary] [Updates and Errata] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Martens PJ, Bond R, Jebamani L, Burchill C, Roos NP, Derksen S, Beaulieu M, Steinbach C, MacWilliam L, Walld R, Dik N, Sanderson D, Health Information and Research Committee AoMC, Tanner-Spence M, Leader A, Elias B, O'Neil J. The Health and Health Care Use of Registered First Nations People Living in Manitoba: A Population-Based Study. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2002. [Report] [Summary] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Martens PJ, Fransoo R, The Need to Know Team, Burland E, Jebamani L, Burchill C, Black C, Dik N, MacWilliam L, Derksen S, Walld R, Steinbach C, Dahl M. The Manitoba RHA Indicators Atlas: Population-Based Comparison of Health and Health Care Use. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2003. [Report] [Summary] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Metge C, Chateau D, Prior H, Soodeen R, De Coster C, Barre L. Composite Measures/Indices of Health and Health System Performance. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2009. [Report] [Summary] (View)
• Shanahan M, Gousseau C. Interprovincial Comparisons of Health Care Expenditures. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation, 1997. [Report] [Summary] (View)