Final answer:
The claim that the majority of people over 65 evaluate their health as good or excellent is false; only 41.6% of older adults rate their health positively, as opposed to 64.4% of the younger group, with prevalent health issues like arthritis, hypertension, and heart disease.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the majority of people aged 65 and older consider themselves to be in good or excellent health compared to other people their age is false. As data provided by the federal Administration on Aging in 2011 indicates, fewer people over sixty-five assess their health as "excellent" or "very good" in comparison to those aged eighteen to sixty-four. Specifically, only 41.6 percent of older adults rate their health positively versus 64.4 percent of the younger group. Furthermore, significant health issues such as arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and obesity are prevalent among the older population. While medical advances have helped reduce some of the disabling effects of chronic diseases, increased functional impairments and chronic diseases are also recognized trends among elders.