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Background
From birth to young adulthood, health and development of young people are strongly linked to their living situation, including their family’s socioeconomic position (SEP) and living environment. The impact of regional characteristics on development in early childhood beyond family SEP has been rarely investigated. This study aimed to identify regional predictors of global developmental delay at school entry taking family SEP into consideration.
Method
We used representative, population-based data from mandatory school entry examinations of the German federal state of Brandenburg in 2018/2019 with n=22,801 preschool children. By applying binary multilevel models, we hierarchically analyzed the effect of regional deprivation defined by the German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (GISD) and rurality operationalized as inverted population density of the children’s school district on global developmental delay (GDD) while adjusting for family SEP (low, medium and high).
Results
Family SEP was significantly and strongly linked to GDD. Children with the highest family SEP showed a lower odds for GDD compared to a medium SEP (female: OR=4.26, male: OR=3.46) and low SEP (female: OR=16.58, male: OR=12.79). Furthermore, we discovered a smaller, but additional and independent effect of regional socioeconomic deprivation on GDD, with a higher odds for children from a more deprived school district (female: OR=1.35, male: OR=1.20). However, rurality did not show a significant link to GDD in preschool children beyond family SEP and regional deprivation.
Conclusion
Family SEP and regional deprivation are risk factors for child development and of particular interest to promote health of children in early childhood and over the life course.
Einleitung
Die gesundheitliche Entwicklung von Kindern wird neben der sozioökonomischen Position (SEP) der Familie auch von Merkmalen der Lebensumgebung geprägt. Ruralität oder regionale sozioökonomische Deprivation werden als mögliche unabhängige Einflussgrößen postuliert, ohne dass bisher ausreichende empirische Ergebnisse vorliegen. In dieser Studie wurde untersucht, ob regionale sozioökonomische Deprivation und Ruralität unabhängig von familiärer SEP mit der Entwicklung von Kindern assoziiert sind.
Methoden
Daten des Sozialpädiatrischen Entwicklungsscreenings im Rahmen der Einschulungsuntersuchungen aus dem Jahr 2018/2019 in Brandenburg (n=22.801 Kinder) wurden verknüpft mit Daten zur regionalen Bevölkerungsdichte (Ruralität) sowie mit dem German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (regionale Deprivation). Mittels gemischter Modelle wurde der Zusammenhang einer Allgemeinen Entwicklungsverzögerung (AEV) mit Ruralität und mit regionaler Deprivation analysiert (OR=Odds Ratio (95% Konfidenzintervall)), wobei für familiäre SEP (hoch, mittel, niedrig) adjustiert und nach Geschlecht (M=Mädchen, J=Jungen) stratifiziert wurde.
Ergebnisse
Kinder mit hoher familiärer SEP zeigten geringere Chancen einer AEV als Kinder mit mittlerer familiärer SEP (ORM=4,26(3,14-5,79); ORJ=3,46(2,83-4,22)) und niedriger familiärer SEP (ORM=16,58(11,90-23,09); ORJ=12,79(10,13-16,16)). Größere regionale Deprivation war unabhängig von familiärer SEP und Ruralität mit AEV assoziiert (ORM=1,35(1,13-1,62); ORJ=1,20(1,05-1,39)). Neben familiärer SEP und regionaler Deprivation zeigte Ruralität keine Assoziation mit AEV.
Schlussfolgerung
Neben der familiären SEP wirkt sich die regionale sozioökonomische Deprivation auf Entwicklungsverzögerungen von Kindern aus. Sozialepidemiologie und Public Health sollten daher neben den individuellen sozioökonomischen Voraussetzungen auch die regionalen sozioökonomischen Bedingungen als Determinante der gesundheitlichen Entwicklung über den Lebenslauf berücksichtigen.
Do regional characteristics predict developmental delay? Analyses of German school entry examination
(2022)
Background
Children's health and development are strongly linked to their living situation, including their family's socioeconomic position (SEP) and living region. However, research on the impact of the living region on children's development beyond family SEP is scarce. This study evaluated whether rurality and regional socioeconomic deprivation (DEP) are associated with children's development independently of family SEP.
Methods
The study used population-based data of 5-6.5 years old children (n = 22,801) from mandatory school entry examinations (SEE) in the German federal state of Brandenburg, which were examined in 2018/2019. The SEE data have been linked with data on i. rurality that was defined by an inverted population density and ii. regional DEP that were provided by the German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation. By binary multilevel models, the predictive values of rurality and regional DEP for global developmental delay (GDD) were evaluated, while adjusting for family SEP.
Results
Children with high family SEP showed reduced odds for GDD compared to medium family SEP (female: OR = 4.26, CI95=3.14-5.79, male: OR = 3.46, CI95=2.83-4.22) and low family SEP (female: OR = 16.58, CI95=11.90-23.09, male: OR = 12.79, CI95=10.13-16.16). Regional DEP additionally predicted GDD, with higher odds for children from more deprived regions (female: OR = 1.35, CI95=1.13-1.62, male: OR = 1.20, CI95=1.05-1.39). Rurality did not predict GDD beyond family SEP and regional DEP.
Conclusions
In addition to family SEP, the regional DEP has an effect on children's developmental delay. Hence, Public Health should take into account regional socioeconomic conditions as determinant of health over the life course in addition to family SEP.
Background: The Covid-19 pandemic led to increased work-related strain and psychosocial burden in nurses worldwide, resulting in high prevalences of mental health problems. Nurses in long-term care facilities seem to be especially affected by the pandemic. Nevertheless, there are few findings indicating possible positive changes for health care workers. Therefore, we investigated which psychosocial burdens and potential positive aspects nurses working in long-term care facilities experience during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study among nurses and nursing assistants working in nursing homes in Germany. The survey contained the third German version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III). Using Welch's t-tests, we compared the COPSOQ results of our sample against a pre-pandemic reference group of geriatric nurses from Germany. Additionally, we conducted semi-structured interviews with geriatric nurses with a special focus on psychosocial stress, to reach a deeper understanding of their experiences on work-related changes and burdens during the pandemic. Data were analysed using thematic coding (Braun and Clarke).
Results: Our survey sample (n = 177) differed significantly from the pre-pandemic reference group in 14 out of 31 COPSOQ scales. Almost all of these differences indicated negative changes. Our sample scored significantly worse regarding the scales 'quantitative demands', 'hiding emotions', 'work-privacy conflicts', 'role conflicts', 'quality of leadership', 'support at work', 'recognition', 'physical demands', 'intention to leave profession', 'burnout', 'presenteeism' and 'inability to relax'. The interviews (n = 15) revealed six main themes related to nurses' psychosocial stress: 'overall working conditions', 'concern for residents', 'management of relatives', 'inability to provide terminal care', 'tensions between being infected and infecting others' and 'technicisation of care'. 'Enhanced community cohesion' (interviews), 'meaning of work' and 'quantity of social relations' (COPSOQ III) were identified as positive effects of the pandemic.
Conclusions: Results clearly illustrate an aggravation of geriatric nurses' situation and psychosocial burden and only few positive changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pre-existing hardships seem to have further deteriorated and new stressors added to nurses' strain. The perceived erosion of care, due to an overemphasis of the technical in relation to the social and emotional dimensions of care, seems to be especially burdensome to geriatric nurses.
Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect depressive symptoms? Longitudinal analysis of health worker data
(2023)
Background
Health workers play a vital role in response to outbreaks under pandemic circumstances, but are also highly vulnerable to stress-related mental health issues (e.g., due to pandemic workload). There are knowledge gaps regarding temporal development of the emergence of depressive symptoms among health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and their determinants. This study examined the trajectory of depressive symptoms and their association with a) stress perception, b) own COVID-19 infection and c) COVID-19 exposure at work.
Methods
This cohort study with 91 health workers (90% female, x⎯⎯=45
years) from a German general hospital included (1) medical, nursing and therapeutic staff and (2) administrative staff. Data were collected longitudinally every month from July to December 2020. Linear multilevel models were used to evaluate associations between trajectories of depression scores (German ‘General Depression Scale’) with perceived stress (‘Perceived Stress Scale’). Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection was tested as a moderator of depressive symptom development. Trajectoires of depressive symptom modalities (e.g., somatic, emotional) were analysed stratified by COVID-19 exposure at work.
Results
Depression scores increased across the study period (b=.03, .02-.05). Perceived stress was associated with depression scores (b=.12, .10-.14). The presence of health workers’ own COVID-19 infection was associated with a higher increase (b=.06, .01-.10). Somatic symptoms of depression increased over time only among health workers directly exposed to COVID-19 patients at work (b=.25, .13-.38).
Conclusions
The increase in depressive symptomatology among health workers exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace points to the need for further research. Since the infection with COVID-19 is associated with an increase of depressive symptoms across time, awareness should be raised about measures to protect against virus transmission, especially during a pandemic.
Exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace is associated with increased somatic depressive symptoms.
Ziel der Studie Untersuchung der Assoziation von Sorge vor eigener Infektion oder der Infektion von Freunden, Familie und Pflegebedürftigen mit Covid-19 und Burnout-Symptomen von Pflegekräften in Brandenburger vollstationären Altenpflegeeinrichtungen.
Methodik Querschnittliche Befragung von Pflegekräften (n=195) in Brandenburger Pflegeheimen zwischen August und Dezember 2020 hinsichtlich ihrer psychosozialen Belastung am Arbeitsplatz.
Ergebnisse Das Vorliegen der Sorge, sich selbst, Familie und/oder Freunde oder Pflegebedürftige mit Covid-19 infiziert zu haben, ist mit einer erhöhten Ausprägung von Burnout-Symptomen assoziiert (b=0,200, t(155)=2,777, p=0,006).
Schlussfolgerung Ein erhöhtes Erleben von Burnout-Symptomen durch die Sorge eines Infektionsrisikos mit Covid-19 am Arbeitsplatz spricht für den Bedarf umfassender Unterstützungsmaßnahmen sowie nachhaltiger Konzepte zum Umgang mit psychosozialer Belastung für Pflegekräfte in der Altenpflege.
Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide.1 In this context, the burden of CAD shows considerable regional heterogeneity at the national level. For example, age-standardized mortality rates varied between 106 and 178 deaths per 100 000 at the level of German federal states in 2019.2 The regional heterogeneity of cardiovascular mortality suggests that the residential environment should be considered as an important determinant for successful secondary prevention. Environmental features that were frequently drawn upon to explain regional inequalities of cardiovascular outcomes are spatial socioeconomic deprivation (SSD) and rurality.3 Rurality may impact cardiovascular health due to impaired access to healthcare services. Socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods, on the other hand, exhibit restricted opportunities to eat healthy, exercise regularly, utilize health care, and avoid environmental hazards such as air pollution.
Background:
Healthcare workers (HCW) are at high risk to develop mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic because of additional work load, perceived stress, and exposure to patients with COVID-19. Currently, there are few studies on change over time in the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pandemic start among HCW. Thus, the aims of the current study were to examine whether depressive symptoms increased during the pandemic and were associated with perceived stress and own COVID-19 infection and workplace exposure to virus-infected patients.
Methods:
The cohort study used longitudinal data from HCW collected monthly (July 2020 till December 2020) during the first year of the pandemic before vaccination became available. The sample of n = 166 was drawn from a German hospital and included medical (e.g. nurses, therapists, and physicians) and administrative staff. Using multilevel models, we analyzed the change in depressive symptoms [assessed with General Depression Scale (GDS), a validated German version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)] and its association with perceived stress across the study period. Laboratory-confirmed own infection was tested as a potential moderator in this context. Subscales of the GDS were used to examine change over time of depressive symptom modalities (e.g. emotional, somatic, and social interactions (β, 95% confidence interval).
Results:
Depression scores increased significantly during the study period (β = .03, 95% CI [0.02, 0.05]). Perceived stress was associated with depressive symptoms (β = .12, 95% CI [0.10, 0.14]) but did not change over time. Exposure to COVID-19 infection was associated with a higher increase of depressive symptoms (β = .12, 95% CI [0.10, .14]). Somatic symptoms of depression increased among medical HCW with workplace exposure to COVID-19 (β = .25, 95% CI [0.13, 0.38]), but not in administrators (β = .03, 95% CI [−0.04, 0.11]).
Conclusion:
Research is needed to identify factors that promote the reduction of depressive symptoms in medical HCW with exposition to COVID-19 patients. Awareness of infection protection measures should be increased.
Ziel der Studie Im bundesweiten Vergleich weist Brandenburg eine der höchsten Morbiditäts- und Mortalitätsraten ischämischer Herzerkrankungen auf. Die Erreichbarkeit der medizinischen Versorgungsinfrastruktur gilt dabei als eine Erklärungsmöglichkeit für regionale gesundheitliche Ungleichheit. Demnach verfolgt die Studie das Ziel, die Distanzen zu verschiedenen Versorgungsarten der kardiologischen Versorgung auf Gemeindeebene zu berechnen und diese im Zusammenhang mit dem lokalen Versorgungsbedarf zu betrachten.
Methodik Präventive Sportangebote, Hausärzte, kardiologische Praxen, Krankenhäuser mit Herzkatheterlabor und Einrichtungen ambulanter Rehabilitation wurden als wesentliche Einrichtungen für die kardiologische Versorgung herangezogen und kartiert. Daraufhin wurden die Distanzen über das Straßenverkehrsnetz vom Mittelpunkt jeder Brandenburger Gemeinde zum nächsten Standort der jeweiligen Versorgungseinrichtung berechnet und in Quintile eingeteilt. Mediane und Interquartilsabstände des deutschen sozioökonomischen Deprivationsindex und des Anteils der Bevölkerung über 65 Jahre wurden als Proxys für den Versorgungsbedarf herangezogen und mit den Distanzquintilen je Versorgungsart in Zusammenhang gesetzt.
Ergebnisse Für 60% der Brandenburger Gemeinden sind Hausärzte innerhalb von 2,5 km, präventive Sportangebote innerhalb von 19,6 km, kardiologische Praxen innerhalb von 18,3 km, Krankenhäuser mit Herzkatheterlabor innerhalb von 22,7 km und Einrichtungen ambulanter Rehabilitation innerhalb von 14,7 km erreichbar. Der Median des deutschen Deprivationsindexes steigt bei allen Versorgungsarten mit zunehmender Distanz an. Der Median des Anteils über 65-Jähriger zeigt keine nennenswerte Variation zwischen den Distanzquintilen.
Schlussfolgerung Die Ergebnisse zeigen für hohe Bevölkerungsanteile teilweise große Distanzen zu spezialisierten kardiologischen Versorgungsangeboten, während hausärztliche Praxen für einen hohen Anteil erreichbar scheinen. In Brandenburg scheint eine regionale und an lokalen Bedarfen orientierte sektorenübergreifende Versorgung notwendig.
Predictors and prevalence of hazardous alcohol use in middle-late to late adulthood in Europe
(2022)
Objectives: Even low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption can have detrimental health consequences, especially in older adults (OA). Although many studies report an increase in the proportion of drinkers among OA, there are regional variations. Therefore, we examined alcohol consumption and the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use (HAU) among men and women aged 50+ years in four European regions and investigated predictors of HAU.
Methods: We analyzed data of N = 35,042 participants of the European SHARE study. We investigated differences in alcohol consumption (units last week) according to gender, age and EU-region using ANOVAs. Furthermore, logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of income, education, marital status, history of a low-quality parent–child relationship and smoking on HAU, also stratified for gender and EU-region. HAU was operationalized as binge drinking or risky drinking (<12.5 units of 10 ml alcohol/week).
Results: Overall, past week alcohol consumption was 5.0 units (±7.8), prevalence of HAU was 25.4% within our sample of European adults aged 50+ years. Male gender, younger age and living in Western Europe were linked to both higher alcohol consumption and higher risks of HAU. Income, education, smoking, a low-quality parent–child relationship, living in Northern and especially Eastern Europe were positively associated with HAU. Stratified analyses revealed differences by region and gender.
Conclusions: HAU was highly prevalent within this European sample of OA. Alcohol consumption and determinants of HAU differed between EU-regions, hinting to a necessity of risk-stratified population-level strategies to prevent HAU and subsequent alcohol use disorders.
Introduction: Despite the growing numbers of physicians in outpatient care, continuing discussion about the planning of physician requirements suggests remaining problems in this field, which could be due to focussing on the ratio of physician to population rather than on morbidity-based evaluations. Against this background, this paper tries to depict the latent need in outpatient care, illustrates supply and demand and further tests the hypothesis that there is a relative inequality in distribution due to physicians preferring to locate in socially privileged areas in the German state of Brandenburg.
Methods: We aggregated all data available on a small scale with potential impact on demand and examined it via principal component analysis. The generated factor was mapped together with the locations of general practitioners and specialists in general care. Using linear regressions, the number of practitioners was compared to the local index value to determine regional inequalities.
Results: The PCA suggested a one factor solution; that factor was designated Social Structure Index due to its values. The mapping showed a tendency of higher index values towards the central areas of Brandenburg surrounding Berlin. Regressions of the number of practitioners against the index values revealed no significant differences between communities with high and low index values.
Conclusion: The extension of factors concluding the evaluation of physician demand in outpatient care confirms the problems of physician supply in rural areas, where sparse populations meet social disadvantages and poor accessibility. An underlying inequality in distribution in terms of physicians preferring socially privileged areas could not be detected.
Background: Nurses’ work-related strain and psychological burden increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in high prevalences of mental health problems among nurses worldwide. Nurses in long-term care facilities seem to be particularly prone to overall heightened burden and poor mental health.
Research question: We investigated which work-related psychosocial burdens and potential positive aspects nurses working in nursing homes experience during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Method: We conducted a mixed-methods study. Eligible for participation were nurses and nursing assistants working in nursing homes within the state of Brandenburg, Germany. Between August and October 2020, we distributed an anonymous survey containing the third German version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III). Using Welch’s t-tests, we compared the COPSOQ results of our sample against a pre-pandemic reference group of geriatric nurses, drawn from the German COPSOQ databank and kindly shared by the Freiburg Research Centre for Occupational Science. In June 2021, we also conducted semi-structured interviews with geriatric nurses to reach a deeper understanding of their experiences on work-related changes and burdens during the first phases of the pandemic. Data were analysed using thematic coding (Braun and Clarke).
Results: Our survey sample (n=177) differed significantly from the reference group in 14 out of 31 COPSOQ scales. Amongst others, our sample scored significantly worse regarding the scales ‘support at work’, ‘recognition’, ‘quantitative demands’, ‘hiding emotions’, ‘role conflicts’, ‘intention to leave profession’, ‘burnout’ and ‘inability to relax’. The interviews (n=17) revealed five main themes related to nurses’ psychosocial stress: ‘overall working conditions under the hygiene measures’, ‘concern for isolated residents’, ‘management of relatives’, ‘inability to provide terminal care‘, ‘tensions between being infected and infecting others’ and ‘technicisation of care’. ‘Enhanced community cohesion’ and ‘meaning of work’ were identified as positive effects of the pandemic.
Discussion: Results indicate that nurses in nursing homes experience enhanced psychosocial and work-related strain. The comparisons with the pre-pandemic reference group suggest that the situation further aggravated during the pandemic. Nurses exhibited high psychosocial burden, e.g., due to strongly impeded possibilities to fulfill the emotional and social dimensions of care and the constant fear of infection or transmission. Deteriorated working conditions (e.g., higher workload through staff shortages and additional tasks) further exacerbated these burdens. Few positive aspects of the pandemic may be important sources of resilience.
Practical implications: The reduction of nurses’ strain through psychosocial support and the improvement of working conditions is crucial for the protection of nurses’ health.
Appeal for practice in one sentence: Political players as well as care facilities should take measures to improve nurses’ situation in order to maintain a healthy workforce and high-quality care.
Einleitung Bisher liegen in Deutschland wenig empirische Ergebnisse zu den Auswirkungen der COVID-19 Pandemie auf die seelische Gesundheit von Beschäftigten im Gesundheitswesen vor. In dieser Studie wird die zeitliche Entwicklung depressiver Symptome und der Zusammenhang mit a) der Stresswahrnehmung, b) der eigenen COVID-19-Infektion und c) der arbeitsplatzbezogenen COVID-19-Exposition untersucht.
Methoden Die Kohortenstudie mit 91 Beschäftigten (90% wbl, x̅=45 Jr) eines Krankenhauses schloss (1) medizinisches, pflegerisches und therapeutisches sowie (2) administratives Personal im Zeitraum von Juli 2020 bis Dezember 2020 ein. Gemischte Modelle analysierten zeitliche Depressionswerte ('Allg. Depressionsskala‘) mit wahrgenommenem Stress ('Perceived Stress Scale'). Eine eigene COVID-19-Infektion (Laborbefund) wurde als Moderator getestet. Die zeitliche Entwicklung von Symptommodalitäten (u.a. somatisch) wurde nach beruflicher Exposition analysiert.
Ergebnisse Die Depressionswerte stiegen insgesamt während des Studienzeitraums an (b=.03, .02-.05). Stressempfinden war mit depressiven Symptomen assoziiert (b=.12, .10-.14). Eine eigene Infektion war mit einem höheren Anstieg assoziiert (b=.06, .01-.10). Somatische Depressionssymptome nahmen nur bei beruflichem Kontakt mit COVID-19 zu (b=.25, .13-.38).
Schlussfolgerung Die Zunahme somatischer depressiver Symptome bei Beschäftigten mit beruflichem Kontakt zu COVID-19 zeigt einen Bedarf an Forschung über und Ressourcen für Gesundheitsschutz und -förderung. Das Bewusstsein für Schutzmaßnahmen sollte gestärkt werden.