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A serial SPECT-CT study in a celiac disease patient with cerebellar ataxia and psychiatric symptoms
(2021)
Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated systemic disorder triggered by gluten and related prolamins in genetically predisposed individuals. Here, we described a case of a 31-year-old Caucasian woman who exhibited cerebellar and psychiatric dysfunctions. The patient underwent single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT-CT) before and after a gluten-free diet (GFD). There was an improvement in cerebellar perfusion accompanied by a remission of cerebellar manifestations. The maintenance of the psychiatric manifestations was related to the persistence of the hypoperfusion in the frontal lobes. The patient's psychiatric symptoms did not change after 4 months under a GFD in the hospital. To our knowledge, this is the first case that shows the relationship between improvement in cerebellar perfusion and remission of cerebellar clinical manifestations in a CD patient under a GFD.
Socioeconomic inequalities in primary-care and specialist physician visits: a systematic review
(2021)
Background
Utilization of primary-care and specialist physicians seems to be associated differently with socioeconomic status (SES). This review aims to summarize and compare the evidence on socioeconomic inequalities in consulting primary-care or specialist physicians in the general adult population in high-income countries.
Methods
We carried out a systematic search across the most relevant databases (Web of Science, Medline) and included all studies, published since 2004, reporting associations between SES and utilization of primary-care and/or specialist physicians. In total, 57 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria.
Results
Many studies found socioeconomic inequalities in physician utilization, but inequalities were more pronounced in visiting specialists than primary-care physicians. The results of the studies varied strongly according to the operationalization of utilization, namely whether a physician was visited (probability) or how often a physician was visited (frequency). For probabilities of visiting primary-care physicians predominantly no association with SES was found, but frequencies of visits were higher in the most disadvantaged. The most disadvantaged often had lower probabilities of visiting specialists, but in many studies no link was found between the number of visits and SES.
Conclusion
This systematic review emphasizes that inequalities to the detriment of the most deprived is primarily a problem in the probability of visiting specialist physicians. Healthcare policy should focus first off on effective access to specialist physicians in order to tackle inequalities in healthcare.
Background: Measuring the phenomenon of violation of birth integrity (vBI) (e.g., obstetric violence) relies in part on the availability and content of maternity care providers' data. The population coverage and linkage possibilities that these data provide make for a yet untapped potential. Although vBI is a complex phenomenon best measured with dedicated instruments, we argue that maternity care providers' data could contribute to enhance our knowledge of the manifestations and frequency of vBI, and allow for analyses across different sub-groups of the population. Looking into the German standardized perinatal data, we investigate which variables are relevant to vBI-related research, and how complete their reporting is.
Methods: First, we analyse state-of-the-art frameworks and recommendations, and, for each vBI-related domain, we search for and list corresponding variables in the perinatal data which could contribute to a better understanding of vBI issues. Second, we use an example and analyse the content of perinatal data obtained between 2013 and 2016 in the context of the BaBi birth cohort study set in Bielefeld, Germany. We use descriptive statistics to assess the completeness of the data.
Results: The vBI-related variables can be classified in three main categories: discrimination based on specific patient socio-demographic attributes (e.g., height and weight to calculate BMI before pregnancy, foreign origin), indication for medical interventions (i.e., medicalization-related variables: indication for cesarean sections and induction), and supportive care, in particular the mobilization dimension (e.g., continuous fetal heartbeat monitoring). The data analyses included 876 births, of which 601 were vaginal birth. We found poor reporting on demographic variables in terms of completeness. Medicalization and mobilization variables are better documented, although limited in scope.
Conclusions: Putting more emphasis on the completeness of standardized data could increase their potential for vBI-related research. Perinatal data alone are insufficient to assess vBI, but a broader, theory-informed discussion of indicators to be included in standardized datasets would contribute to capturing the different aspects of integrity violation in a more systematic way and expand the evidence-base on different types of vBI.
Introduction E-cigarette use during pregnancy is a risk factor for maternal and fetal health. Early studies on animals showed that in utero exposure to e-cigarettes can have negative health outcomes for the fetus. There has been only limited research into the risk perceptions of e-cigarette use during pregnancy. This study was conducted to comprehensively characterize the constructs of risk perceptions with regard to e-cigarette use during pregnancy using an Integrated Health Belief Model (IHBM). Methods Our STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP)used a mixed methods approach, with the study divided intoan initial qualitative part and a quantitative part. A netno-graphic approach was used for the first part, which consistedof the analysis of 1552 posts from 25 German-language on-line discussion threads on e-cigarette use during pregnancy. Using these qualitative results, a quantitative questionnaire was developed to explore risk perception constructs about e‑cigarette use during pregnancy. This questionnaire was subsequently administered to pregnant women (n = 575) in onehospital in Hamburg, Germany. Descriptive and bivariate analysis was used to examine differences in risk perception ac-cording to participantsʼ tobacco and e-cigarette user status before and during pregnancy. While the study design, methods and sample have been extensively described in our recently published study protocol in the January 2020 issue of Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde, this paper is devoted to apresentation of the results of our mixed methods study. Results Themes related to perceived threats identified in the qualitative study part were nicotine-related health risks and po-tential health risks of additional ingredients. Perceived benefits were possibility and facilitation of smoking cessationand a pre-sumed potential to reduce harm. The subsequent quantitative part showed that nearly all participants (99.3%) perceivede‑cigarettes which contained nicotine as constituting a threat to the health of the unborn child. The most commonly perceived barrier was health-related (96.6%), while the most commonly perceived benefit was a reduction in the amount of tobacco cigarettes consumed (31.8%). We found that partic-ularly perceived benefits varied depending on the partici-pantʼs tobacco and e-cigarette user status. Conclusion When considering future prevention strategies, the potential health risks and disputed effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a tool for smoking cessation need to be taken intoaccount and critically discussed.
Introduction
Although the impact of macrolevel characteristics of health systems on socioeconomic inequity in health has been studied extensively, the impact of access characteristics on a smaller scale of health systems has received less attention. These mesolevel characteristics can influence access to healthcare and might have the potential to moderate or aggravate socioeconomic inequity in healthcare use. This scoping review aims to map the existing evidence of the association of socioeconomic inequity in healthcare use and mesolevel access characteristics of the health system.
Methods and analysis
In conducting the scoping review, we follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols Extension for Scoping Reviews. The search will be carried out in four scientific databases: MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus and PsycINFO. Main eligibility criteria are inclusion in the analysis of a measure of socioeconomic position, a measure of individual healthcare use and a mesolevel determinant of access to healthcare services. The selection process consists of two consecutive screening stages (first: title/abstract; second: full text). At both stages, two reviewers independently assess the eligibility of studies. In case of disagreement, a third reviewer will be involved. Cohen’s kappa will be calculated to report inter-rater agreement between reviewers. Results are synthesised narratively, as a high heterogeneity of studies is expected.
Ethics and dissemination
No primary data are collected for the presented scoping review. Therefore, ethical approval is not necessary. The scoping review will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal, and findings will be presented on national and international conferences.
Spätestens seit 2015 ist Deutschland ein zentrales Einwanderungsland Europas und eines der wichtigsten weltweit. Migranten und Migrantinnen sind nicht grundsätzlich gesünder oder kränker, haben aufgrund ihrer Migrationshistorie aber andere Gesundheitschancen und -risiken. Diese entstehen u.a. durch biografische Expositionen, andere Lebensgewohnheiten, ein anderes Verständnis von Krankheit und Gesundheit, soziale Benachteiligung oder Diskriminierung im Zielland.
Dieses Handbuch bietet einen umfassenden Überblick über das Phänomen Migration, Modelle und Theorien sowie Methoden und Ergebnisse der Forschung, Welche Herausforderungen gibt es in der aktuellen Praxis und bei zukünftigen Entwicklungen? Der Fokus liegt auf dem deutschsprachigen Raum, bezieht aber auch europäische und globale Perspektiven ein.
The economic and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic pose a particular threat to vulnerable groups, such as migrants, particularly forcibly displaced populations. The aim of this review is (i) to synthesise the evidence on risk of infection and transmission among migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced populations, and (ii) the effect of lockdown measures on these populations. We searched MEDLINE and WOS, preprint servers, and pertinent websites between 1st December 2019 and 26th June 2020. The included studies showed a high heterogeneity in study design, population, outcome and quality. The incidence risk of SARS-CoV-2 varied from 0.12% to 2.08% in non-outbreak settings and from 5.64% to 21.15% in outbreak settings. Migrants showed a lower hospitalisation rate compared to non-migrants. Negative impacts on mental health due to lockdown measures were found across respective studies. However, findings show a tenuous and heterogeneous data situation, showing the need for more robust and comparative study designs.
Introduction
Childhood and adolescence are crucial life stages for health trajectories and the development of health inequalities in later life. The relevance of schools for health and well-being of children and adolescents has long been recognised, and there is some research regarding the association of contextual and compositional characteristics of schools and classes with health, health behaviour and well-being in this population. Little is known about the role of meso-level characteristics in relation to health inequalities. The aim of this scoping review is to retrieve and synthesise evidence about the mediating or moderating role of compositional or contextual characteristics of schools for the association between students’ socioeconomic position and health in primary and secondary education.
Methods and analysis
We will conduct a systematic search of electronic databases in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Education Resources Information Center. Studies must meet the following inclusion criteria: (1) The population must be students attending primary or secondary schools in developed economies. (2) The outcomes must include at least one indicator for individual health, health behaviour or well-being. (3) The study must include at least one contextual or compositional characteristic of the school context and one individual determinant of socioeconomic position. (4) The study must also examine the mediating or moderating role of the contextual or compositional characteristic of the school context for the associations between socioeconomic position and health, health behaviour or well-being. (5) The study must be published since 1 January 2000 in English or German language. We will provide a narrative synthesis of findings.
Ethics and dissemination
We will not collect primary data and only include secondary data derived from previously published studies. Therefore, ethical approval is not required. We intend to publish our findings in an international peer-reviewed journal and to present them at national and international conferences.
The German government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been predominantly considered wellfounded. Still, the practice of mass quarantine in reception centres and asylum camps has been criticised for its discrimination of refugees and asylum seekers. Building on the concept of othering, this article argues that processes of othering are structurally anchored in German asylum regulations and they have further pervaded public health measures against COVID-19. The practice of mass quarantine made the negative consequences of exclusionary othering for public health particularly noticeable. In the light of recent data indicating this measure to be epidemiologically, legally and ethically insufficient, we apply the concept of othering to public health and discuss (1) exclusionary, (2) inclusionary and (3) diversity-sensitive approaches to public health. We finally conclude that a shift of perspective from exclusion to inclusion, from subordination to empowerment and from silencing to participation is urgently required.
School-to-work/university transition is a sensitive period that can have a substantial impact on health and health behaviour over the life course. There is some indication that health and health behaviour is socially patterned in the age span of individuals in this transition (16–24 years) and that there are differences by socioeconomic position (SEP). However, evidence regarding this phenomenon has not been systematically mapped. In addition, little is known about the role of institutional characteristics (eg, of universities, workplaces) in the development of health and possible inequalities in health during this transition. Hence, the first objective of this scoping review is to systematically map the existing evidence regarding health and health behaviours (and possible health inequalities, for example, differences by SEP) in the age group of 16–24 years and during school-to-work transition noted in Germany and abroad. The second objective is to summarise the evidence on the potential effects of contextual and compositional characteristics of specific institutions entered during this life stage on health and health behaviours. Third, indicators and measures of these characteristics will be summarised.Methods and analysisWe will systematically map the evidence on health inequalities during school-to-work-transitions among young adults (aged 16–24 years), following the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. The literature search is performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, International Labour Organization and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, using a predetermined search strategy. Articles published between January 2000 and February 2020 in English or German are considered for the review. The selection process follows a two-step approach: (1) screening of titles and abstracts, and (2) screening of full texts, both steps by two independent reviewers. Any discrepancies in the selection process are resolved by a third researcher. Data extraction will be performed using a customised data extraction sheet. The results will be presented in tabular and narrative form.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for this scoping review. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and presented at international conferences and project workshops.
Objectives
Active and passive exposure to tobacco cigarettes during pregnancy is associated with multiple negative health outcomes for the fetus. In addition, exposure to e-cigarettes has been progressively discussed as a new threat to fetal health. Until now, there has been a lack of studies examining active and passive exposure to tobacco and e-cigarettes among pregnant women. The objective of our current STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) was to advance and complement the current knowledge regarding active and passive exposure to tobacco and e-cigarettes before pregnancy and during early and late pregnancy.
Methods
One element of the STEP study was a quantitative cross-sectional design: A sample of 540 pregnant women recruited at an obstetrician clinic in Hamburg from April 2018 to January 2019 were surveyed once via a standardized questionnaire and provided complete information regarding their consumption of tobacco and e-cigarettes. We performed a descriptive analysis of tobacco and e-cigarette use before pregnancy and during early and late pregnancy, as well as bivariate analysis of these variables with sociodemographic determinants. Passive exposure was assessed by asking the participating pregnant women about the consumption of tobacco and e-cigarettes by their partners, in general, and in their homes.
Results
Before pregnancy, 20.0% of the participants used tobacco cigarettes exclusively, 1.3% used e-cigarettes exclusively, and 6.5% were dual users. Educational level was significantly associated with tobacco cigarette use (p < 0.001) and dual use (p = 0.047) before pregnancy. During early (late) pregnancy, 8.7% (2.8%) used tobacco cigarettes and 0.4% (0.0%) used e-cigarettes exclusively. Twenty-point nine percent of women’s partners consumed tobacco cigarettes exclusively, 2.7% consumed e-cigarettes exclusively, and 2.7% consumed both. A total of 8.5% (16.7%) of the partners who consumed tobacco cigarettes exclusively (e-cigarettes exclusively) did so in the women’s homes.
Conclusions for Practice
Among pregnant women, the use of tobacco cigarettes remains prominent before and during pregnancy, while e-cigarette use predominately occurs before pregnancy. Our study shows that pregnant women are frequently exposed to their partners’ tobacco and e-cigarette use within their homes. Strategies to reduce such exposure should be further intensified.
Significance
In the last decade, e-cigarettes have become popular, and e-cigarette use has been increasing, even among pregnant women. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the exposure to e-cigarettes before pregnancy and during early and late pregnancy, as well as studies comparing e-cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes. The current study found that active exposure to e-cigarettes before pregnancy is high, while exposure during pregnancy is marginal. In contrast, exposure to tobacco cigarettes before and in early pregnancy is high but decreases during late pregnancy. In addition, the results of our study show that pregnant women are passively exposed to tobacco and e-cigarettes at home. Pregnant women should be advised against exposing themselves, actively or passively, to tobacco and e-cigarette smoke.
Health inequalities during school-to-work transitions among young adults: Mapping the evidence
(2020)
Background
School-to-work transition is a sensitive period that can have a substantial impact on health over the life course. Previous studies suggest pronounced health inequalities during this period but little is known about the determinants at the individual, meso- and macro-levels. We aim to further elucidate possible health inequalities during school-to-work transitions with a focus on multilevel determinants, e.g. evidence on potential effects of contextual and compositional factors of specific institutions involved.
Methods
We are currently conducting a scoping review (funded by the German Research Foundation) to map the evidence on the above mentioned topic among young adults (aged 16-24 years), following the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and ÓMalley and PRISMA. The literature search was performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, ILO and NIOSH, using sensitive search strategy developed by text-analysis. Only articles published between January 2000 - February 2020 and written in English or German are considered. The selection process is conducted following a two-step approach:1) screening of titles and abstracts 2) screening of full-texts by two independent reviewers. Any discrepancies in the selection process are resolved by a third researcher.
Preliminary Results
Following the five stages of the methodological framework, the scoping review is currently in stage 3 (study selection-screening phase). We found 25,069 potentially relevant articles in our primary search. 15,508 articles remained after the duplicates were removed. Up to now, 8,825 papers were screened of which 7,629 were excluded and 1,176 included which qualified for full-text reading. Complete results of the scoping review will be presented at the conference.
Conclusions
This scoping review will improve our knowledge about the emergence and development of health inequalities during school-to-work transitions by examining health of individuals in different institutional contexts.
Key messages
- Improving our knowledge of health inequalities during school-to-work transitions.
- the role of determinants at the individual, meso- and macro-levels during this stage will also be examined.
Background
Health inequalities in school-aged children and adolescents were repeatedly reported across Europe but less is known about the contextual and compositional factors of families that might influence and reproduce those health inequalities. In this systematic scoping review we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the available international literature on the mediating and moderating influence of the family on health inequalities in children and adolescents in Europe and North America.
Methods
This review follows the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews. After defining the research question a search strategy was developed in cooperation with a scientific librarian and the study protocol was registered. A search of three databases (Pubmed, Scopus, PsycINFO) was conducted to identify relevant literature in English or German published between the year 2000 and 2019. A qualitative data charting process was used to extract the relevant data.
Results
In total 11.838 records were identified through the multi database search (Pubmed n = 6370, PsycINFO n = 3505, Scopus n = 1963). After elimination of duplicates and records from excluded countries, 8862 abstracts were screened by two researchers independently. Different cluster of evidence of family influences on health inequalities were identified: Parental behaviors and children's obesity, parents' smoking and drinking habits and adolescents' risk behaviors, parenting style and children's common mental disorders, parental resources and children's quality of life.
Conclusions
There are different aspects of family's contextual and compositional characteristics on health inequalities identifiable in the international literature. These characteristics might be new targets for family-focused health promotion strategies.
Key messages:
-A systematic scoping review found different family aspects that influence health inequalities in children and adolescents.
- The identified family traits are promising targets for family-focused health promotion strategies to reduce health inequalities.
Introduction: Several studies have identified that unaccompanied minor refugees (UMRs) are allegedly ‘vulnerable’ and belong to a high-risk group in terms of psychological distress and post-traumatic stress disorder due to their preflight, periflight and postflight experiences. Psychosocial care (PSC) is of high importance for UMRs, but little is known about barriers to access and utilisation of PSC across place and gender. The aims of this gender-sensitive qualitative study will be to build on the existing body of literature and to provide qualitative evidence on the contexts and mechanisms of PSC for male and female UMRs in Germany by comparing two German regions.
Methods and analysis: Following the study preparing realist review, a qualitative study will be undertaken in Berlin and Central German cities. Approximately 24 experts from the field of PSC and 12 lay UMRs will participate in face-to-face, semistructured interviews. Data will be transcribed and analysed based on the grounded theory research paradigm.
Ethics and dissemination: Only participants who have been informed in both German and their native tongue and who have signed a declaration of consent will be included in the study. The study will comply rigorously with German data protection standards. Approval from the Ethical Review Committee at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany has been obtained and granted. The results of the study will be presented at several conferences and will be published in high-quality, peer-reviewed international journals. The results will display a differentiated picture of the PSC of UMRs in Germany. Such knowledge is a precondition for a ‘science of change’ that translates explanations into practical recommendations on how to improve healthcare policies.
Introduction: Early childhood is an important life stage which is crucial for determining health and health inequalities in later life. At the meso-level (institutional-level), early childcare facilities (eg, kindergartens, preschools) are the most important agent of socialisation next to families in young children aged 06 years. In recent years, an increasing amount of studies has focused on contextual and compositional characteristics of early childcare facilities and their association with health (eg, self-rated health), health behaviour (eg, physical activity) and well-being (eg, emotional well-being) in this age group. However, as currently no overview of the available literature on this topic exists, we will conduct a scoping review including various study designs (eg, cross-sectional studies, prospective studies, qualitative studies).
Methods and analysis: We will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. A systematic search of the following scientific databases will be conducted: PubMed/Medline, PsycInfo, Sociological Abstracts, Education Resources Information Center and The Cochrane Library. During the selection process, we will follow a two-step process. First, two reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts of all potentially eligible articles by applying a set of previously defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After the completion of the title/abstract screening, full texts of the remaining articles will be screened following the same procedure. To determine inter-rater agreement between reviewers, we will calculate Cohen’s Kappa after both steps. Key characteristics (eg, country of origin, sample size, study design) of included articles will be extracted. We will map the evidence available by providing a summary table on the key characteristics extracted and by presenting the associations using various types of illustrations.
Ethics and dissemination: Since no primary data will be collected for this review, ethical approval is not required. Our findings will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal and presented at national and international conferences.
PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews: registered study protocol.
Review question: Which family characteristics mediate or moderate the association between the family’s socioeconomic position and health in school-aged children and adolescents in countries with developed economies?
Ziel des Factsheets ist es, das „Ausbreitungspotential“ (als kumulatives Inzidenzrisiko) von SARSCoV‐
2 in Aufnahmeeinrichtungen und Gemeinschaftsunterkünften bei Auftreten eines Falls zu
ermitteln, Zusammenhänge mit Einrichtungstyp und Strategie des Ausbruchsmanagements zu
explorieren und normativ‐rechtliche Aspekte zu diskutieren.
Zusammengefasst kann gesagt werden:
- Das Risiko, mit dem weitere Bewohner*innen nach einem ersten nachgewiesenen Fall von SARS‐CoV‐2 (mittels PCR) positiv getestet werden ist in Aufnahmeeinrichtungen und Gemeinschaftsunterkünften mit durchschnittlich 17% als hoch einzuschätzen, wobei es eine große Varianz zwischen den Einrichtungen gibt.
- Eine Kollektivquarantäne hat bezogen auf das Infektionsrisiko der unter Quarantäne gestellten Bewohner*innen gegenüber anderen Strategien keinen messbaren Vorteil. Ist innerhalb der Quarantäne eine physische Distanzierung nur bedingt möglich, ist von einer Erhöhung des Infektionsrisikos für die nicht‐infizierten Bewohner*innen auszugehen. Studien zur Quarantäne unter den vergleichsweisen günstigen Bedingungen von Kreuzfahrtschiffen bestätigen dies. Es gibt keine Daten darüber, ob die Kollektivquarantäne einen gesundheitlichen Nutzen für die Bevölkerung außerhalb der Einrichtung bedeutet. Da sie allerdings erhebliche normativ‐rechtliche Probleme birgt, ist die Kollektivquarantäne nach aktuellem Kenntnisstand zu vermeiden.
- Die Unterbringung von Geflüchteten sollte grundsätzlich coronaschutzkonform erfolgen, d.h. möglichst dezentral bzw. bei zentralen Einrichtungen möglichst in Einzelunterbringung in kleinen Wohneinheiten, damit bei Auftreten eines Falls eine rasche Ausbreitung vermieden wird und eine adäquate Kontaktnachverfolgung möglich ist.
- Nationale Empfehlungen zum Umgang mit SARS‐CoV‐2 in Aufnahmeeinrichtungen und Gemeinschaftsunterkünften unter Berücksichtigung der bisher vor Ort entwickelten Präventions‐ und Lösungsansätze sowie epidemiologischer und normativ‐rechtlicher Überlegungen sind dringend notwendig, um die beteiligten Akteur*innen in ihrem Engagement für die Gesundheit der Bewohner*innen zu unterstützen.
Dieses Papier richtet sich an: Politikverantwortliche sowie Akteur*innen der Flüchtlingsversorgung und der Wissenschaft.
Objective: Non-medical antenatal care (ANC) refers to a range of non-medical services available to women during pregnancy aiming at supporting women and prepare them for the birth and the postpartum period. In Germany, they include antenatal classes, breastfeeding classes and pregnancy-specific yoga or gymnastics courses. Studies suggest that various types of non-medical ANC carry benefits for both the women and their babies. Little is known about the uptake of non-medical ANC among different socioeconomic population subgroups, but one may expect lower utilization among socio-economically disadvantaged women. We analyzed factors contributing to the utilization of non-medical ANC in general and antenatal classes in particular.
Methods: Baseline data of the Bielefeld BaBi birth cohort (2013–2016) and the Berlin perinatal study (2011–2012) were analyzed. Comparing the two cohorts allowed to increase the socio-economic and migration background variance of the study population and to capture the effect of the local context on uptake of services. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to study associations between the uptake of non-medical ANC and socio-economic and migration status.ResultsIn Berlin and Bielefeld, being a first generation migrant and having lower levels of education were associated with lower non-medical ANC uptake. In Berlin, being a 2nd generation woman or having a low income was also associated with lower uptake.
Conclusions for Practice: Our study suggests that non-medical ANC remains in some part the prerogative of non-migrant, well-educated and economically privileged women. Since differences in non-medical ANC have the potential to create inequalities in terms of birth outcomes and maternal health during pregnancy and post-partum, more efforts are needed to promote the use of non-medical ANC by all population groups.
Background: Although early childhood is a life period of overall good health, research shows that families’ socioeconomic position (SEP) is affecting children’s health from pregnancy on, ultimately leading to health inequalities. Little is currently known about the pathways by which family SEP is influencing child health and health-related behaviour, and which role family characteristics play. The scoping review therefore aims to screen the international literature on the mediating and moderating effects of contextual and compositional family characteristics on socioeconomic health risks of pre-school children in developed countries.
Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews, three online databases (Pubmed, PsycINFO, and Scopus) will be searched for literature in English or German published after year 2000. The two-step data screening approach and the subsequent data extraction will be conducted independently by two researchers in consideration of specific criteria and a previously tested standardized data extraction form. Due to the broad research question at hand, various study designs (e.g. cross-sectional, intervention, cohort studies, and qualitative studies), SEP measures (e.g. education, income) and compositional (e.g. family size, migration) or contextual (e.g. parenting, housing) family characteristics influencing children ́s health will be included. Since diverse definitions and reporting formats of subjective health, health behaviour, well-being, and diseases will be considered, a substantial heterogeneity in outcome measures focusing on the age group of 0-6 years is expected. Thus, a narrative synthesis of the findings will be performed according to the Centre for
Reviews and Dissemination framework.
Ethics and dissemination: Because no primary data will be collected, ethical clearance will not be required. Dissemination will include peer-reviewed publications and conferences.
Introduction: The location of residence is a factor possibly contributing to social inequalities and emerging evidence indicates that it already affects perinatal development. The underlying pathways remain unknown; theory-based and hypothesis-driven analyses are lacking. To address these challenges, we aim to establish to what extent small-area characteristics contribute to low birth weight (LBW), independently of individual characteristics. First, we select small-area characteristics based on a conceptual model and measure them. Then, we empirically analyse the impact of these characteristics on LBW.
Material and methods: Individual data were provided by the birth cohort study “Health of infants and children in Bielefeld/Germany.” The sample consists of 892 eligible women and their infants distributed over 80 statistical districts in Bielefeld. Small-area data were obtained from local noise maps, emission inventory, Google Street View and civil registries. A linear multilevel analysis with a two-level structure (individuals nested within statistical districts) was conducted.
Results: The effects of the selected small-area characteristics on LBW are small to non-existent, no significant effects are detected. The differences in proportion of LBW based on marginal effects are small, ranging from zero to 1.1%. Newborns from less aesthetic and subjectively perceived unsafe neighbourhoods tend to have higher proportions of LBW.
Discussion: We could not find evidence for negative effects of small-area factors on LBW, but our study confirms that obtaining adequate sample size, reliable measure of exposure and using available data for operationalisation of the small-area context represent the core challenges in this field of research.
Breastfeeding is beneficial for both mother and child. A breastfed child can benefit from improved mental developments, protection against infectious diseases and infectious disease mortality, and a decreased risk of overweight and obesity (Whalen and Cramton 2010)(Regional Office for Europe (World Health Organisation) 2019). Furthermore, there is evidence on protection against type 1 and 2 diabetes, allergic rhinitis, asthma or wheezing, atopic dermatitis, childhood leukemia, hypercholesterolemia later in life, sudden infant death syndrome (Whalen and Cramton 2010) and malocclusion (Victora et al. 2016). Breastfeeding women have a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer, postpartum depression, and type 2 diabetes. They can, furthermore, benefit from prolonged lactational amenorrhea (Victora et al. 2016), improved postpartum sleep (Whalen and Cramton 2010) and postpartum weight loss (Kramer and Kakuma 2012).
Background – European studies showed that women with a migration background are less likely to participate in mammography screenings than autochthonous women. However, the participation in the German mammography screening programme (MSP) among ethnic German migrants from countries of the former Soviet Union (called resettlers) is unclear so far. The aim of this study was to identify possible differences regarding MSP participation between resettlers from the FSU and the general German population.
Methods – Data from two independent, complementary studies from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (a retrospective cohort study 1994–2013; a cross-sectional study 2013/14) were used for comparisons between resettlers and the general population: Odds Ratios (ORs) for MSP participation utilizing the cross-sectional data and time trends of breast cancer incidence rates as well as Chi-Square tests for breast cancer stages utilizing the cohort data.
Results – Resettlers showed higher Odds to participate in the MSP than the general population (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.08–5.42). Among resettlers, a large increase in incidence rates was observed during the MSP implementation (2005–2009), resulting in stable and comparable incidence rates after the implementation. Furthermore, pre-MSP implementation, the proportion of advanced breast cancer stages was higher among resettlers than in the German population, post-MSP implementation the proportion was comparable.
Conclusions – MSP participating seems surprisingly high among resettlers. An explanation for the increased willingness to participate might be the structured invitation procedure of the MSP. However, the exact reasons remain unclear and future research is needed to confirm this hypothesis and rule out the possibility of selection bias in the cross-sectional study.
Background: Immigrants in Germany exhibit higher levels of social disadvantage when compared to the non-immigrated population. Turkish-origin immigrants constitute an important immigrant group in Germany and show disparities in some health domains that are evident from birth onwards. Several studies have shown the mechanisms by which social disadvantage is biologically embedded to affect health over the lifespan. Relatively little, however, is still known about if and how the maternal social situation is transmitted to the next generation. This study therefore aims to analyse the effects of maternal socioeconomic status and migration status on stress-related maternal-placental-fetal (MPF) biological processes during pregnancy on infant birth and health outcomes.
Methods: This longitudinal cohort study of N = 144 child-mother dyads is located at two study sites in Germany and includes pregnant women of Turkish origin living in Germany as well as pregnant German women. During pregnancy, MPF stress biology markers from maternal blood and saliva samples, maternal socio-economic and migration-related information, medical risk variables and psychological well-being are assessed. After birth, infant anthropometric measures and developmental outcomes are assessed. The same measures will be assessed in and compared to Turkish pregnant women based on a collaboration with BABIP study in Istanbul.
Discussion: This is the first study on intergenerational transmission of health disparities in Germany with a focus on women of Turkish-origin. The study faces similar risks of bias as other birth cohorts do. The study has implemented various measures, e.g. culturally sensitive recruitment strategies, attempt to recruit and follow-up as many pregnant women as possible independent of their social or cultural background. Nevertheless, the response rate among lower-educated families is lower. The possibility to compare results with a cohort from Turkey is a strength of this study. However, starting at different times and with slightly different recruitment strategies and designs may result in cohort effects and may affect comparability of the sub-cohorts.
The Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Inventory (MASI) is an established measure of acculturative stress for people of Mexican origin living in the USA that has been associated with mental health outcomes in this population. We translated the MASI into German and adapted it for use with Turkish-origin immigrants in Germany. The MASI includes filter questions asking if a potentially stressful event had actually occurred before reporting the stress appraisal of these situations. Measurement invariance testing has become a standard practice to evaluate questionnaire translations, however, measurement invariance of filter questions has been scarcely studied. In Study 1, we evaluated measurement invariance of the filter questions between a German-based Turkish sample (N = 233) and the Mexican-origin sample from the original study (N = 174) and could show partial strong factorial invariance for three of the four factors. In Study 2, a validation study, relations between the German MASI scores and measures of acculturation and stress indicated discriminant validity. This study contributes to research on measurement invariance of filter questions, thereby providing a measure of acculturative stress that can be used in future research to understand the etiology of health disparities in Turkish-origin immigrants in Germany.
BACKGROUND:
Women with a migration background are reportedly at a higher risk of emergency caesarean section. There is evidence that this is due in part to suboptimal antenatal care use and quality of care. Despite the fact that migrant women and descendants of migrants are often at risk of socioeconomic disadvantage, there is, in comparison, scarce and incomplete evidence on the role of socioeconomic position as an independent risk factor for emergency caesarean delivery. We therefore investigate whether and how migration background and two markers of socioeconomic position affect the risk of an emergency caesarean section and whether they interact with each other.
METHODS:
In 2013-2016, we recruited women during the perinatal period in Bielefeld, Germany, collecting data on health and socioeconomic and migration background, as well as routine perinatal data. We studied associations between migration background (1st generation migrant, 2nd/3rd generation woman, no migration background), socioeconomic status (educational attainment and net monthly household income), and the outcome emergency caesarean section.
RESULTS:
Of the 881 participants, 21% (n = 185) had an emergency caesarean section. Analyses showed no association between having an emergency caesarean section and migration status or education. Women in the lowest (< 800€/month) and second lowest (between 800 and 1750€/month) income categories were more likely (aOR: 1.96, CI: 1.01-3.81; and aOR: 2.36, CI: 1.27-4.40, respectively) to undergo an emergency caesarean section than women in the higher income groups.
CONCLUSIONS:
Migration status and education did not explain heterogeneity in mode of birth. Having a low household income, however, increased the chances of emergency caesarean section and thereby contributed towards producing health disadvantages. Awareness of these findings and measures to correct these inequalities could help to improve the quality of obstetric care.
Die Bevölkerungsgruppe der Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund umfasst fast ein Viertel der Gesamtbevölkerung in Deutschland und ist höchst heterogen. Pauschalisierende Aussagen zum Gesundheitsstatus dieser Gruppe sind daher nicht möglich. Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund sind nicht grundsätzlich gesünder oder kränker als die Mehrheitsbevölkerung. Allerdings können sie sich aufgrund von Expositionen vor, während und nach der Migration in ihren Gesundheitschancen und -risiken von der Mehrheitsbevölkerung unterscheiden. Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung sollten daraus resultierende spezifische Bedarfe ebenso berücksichtigen wie die Diversität der Bevölkerung insgesamt. Erfolgversprechend ist eine Kombination aus diversitätssensiblen, für die Gesamtbevölkerung zugänglichen Angeboten und migrationsspezifischen Ansätzen in besonders risikoreichen Situationen. Kommunale, settingorientierte sowie soziokulturell angepasste Angebote verbessern die Erreichbarkeit der Zielgruppen maßgeblich.
Introduction: During pregnancy, the motherʼs healthy life-style is crucial for the health of the fetus. Potential risk factorsfor maternal and child health should therefore be identifiedand reduced as early as possible. The consumption of e-ciga-rettes represents one of these potential risk factors. Exploringrisk perceptions about e-cigarette use during pregnancy canprovide early indications of possible user motives. Therefore,our mixed methodsSTudy onE-cigarettes andPregnancy(STEP) aimed to comprehensively analyze risk perceptionsabout e-cigarette use during pregnancy based on anInte-gratedHealthBeliefModel (IHBM). This paper describes thestudy design, methods, sample population and limitations ofSTEP.
Methods: Our sequential mixed methods study combinedqualitative and quantitative approaches. In the qualitativesection of the study which preceded the quantitative part ofthe study, we aimed to characterize risk perceptions aboute‑cigarette use during pregnancy. We used a netnographic re-search approach which analyzed discussion threads in onlineforums dealing with e-cigarette use during pregnancy. Theanalysis was based on an IHBM. Identified themes were incor-porated in the questionnaire which was developed for the quantitative part of the study. The quantitative section aimedto quantify, among other things, perceived threats, barriersand benefits and to explore differences in risk perception ac-cording to sociodemographic characteristics and tobacco ande-cigarette usage.
Results: In the qualitative section, 1552 posts in 25 online dis-cussion threads dealing, inter alia, with e-cigarette use duringpregnancy were identified. The quantitative part looked atthe responses in the questionnaires handed in by 575 preg-nant women who attended a hospital in Hamburg (Germany)from April 2018 to January 2019 (response rate: 27.5%).
Conclusion: Data collection was successful for both the qual-itative and quantitative parts of the study. When interpretingthe results of STEP, different limitations should be taken intoaccount. The results of STEP provide starting points for thedevelopment of tailored preventive measures for pregnantwomen.
Children with a migration background are more at risk of health-related problems than those without a migration background. The German health system still does not adequately meet the challenges of on increasingly heterogeneous population, not least due to a lack of adequate epidemiological data and models. The BaBi study contributes to gaining new insights in the development of health inequalities due to cultural diversity in Germany, with a focus on pregnancy and early childhood.
Inequalities in the utilisation of primary and specialist physicians in Europe - a systematic review
(2019)
Background: The evidence on inequalities in health clearly shows that people with lower socioeconomic status (SES) have poorer health and higher mortality. Nevertheless, generalized evidence for inequalities in healthcare is lacking. So far, the international literature was only summarised with regard to inequalities in the utilisation of disease-specific treatment. Therefore, our aim was to synthetize the literature on socioeconomic inequalities in the utilisation of primary and specialist physicians in the general population.
Methods: This systematic review searched Medline und Web of Science from 2004 to 2018. Articles that reported quantitative data on the association of SES with utilisation of primary or specialist physicians in Europe were included. Title and abstract screening were performed by two independent researchers and 50 full texts are currently sifted whether they fulfil the inclusion criteria.
Results: The studies analysed utilisation of physicians in terms of probability or frequency. The initial check of the studies indicates that socioeconomic inequalities in the utilisation of physicians differ between primary and specialist care. Specialist physicians were found to be visited with a higher probability and more often by the least disadvantaged in most studies. Inequalities in the utilisation of primary physicians revealed to be more diverse with a weak pattern of equally distributed probability of GP visits and more frequent utilisation by the disadvantaged.
Conclusions: The preliminary results indicate that pro-rich utilisation seems to be more pronounced in visiting specialists compared to primary health care. Aiming to reduce inequalities in healthcare, public health actions might primarily focus on reaching a needs-based consultation of specialist physicians.
The impact of psychosocial factors on breastfeeding duration in the BaBi cohort study, Germany
(2019)
Background: Breastfeeding is considered beneficial for both mother and child. In Germany, national guidelines recommend fully breastfeeding for at least 4 months, a goal reached by only 34% of mothers in 2012. The WHO’s recommendation of exclusively breastfeeding for six months was met by 19% only. Hardly modifiable factors such as socio-economic status and migration background have been associated with duration of breastfeeding but little is known about the impact of psychosocial factors such as personality traits and social support. We hypothesise that there are differences in the psychosocial profiles of mothers regarding the duration of breastfeeding.
Methods: We analyse baseline and follow-up data of the Bielefeld BaBi birth cohort (2013-16). They include detailed migration and socio-economic backgrounds, as well as three measures of psychological characteristics: the optimism scale, the Big Five inventory and the locus of control scales. We perform bivariate and multivariate analyses in order to identify psychosocial determinants of fully breastfeeding for four and six months.
Results: Out of 780 BaBi study participants, 548 fully breastfed for four months (70.3%), of which 279 continued until at least six months (35.8%). Logistic regression analyses show that fully breastfeeding for at least four or six months is independently associated with the intention to breastfeed and the attendance of antenatal class during this or previous pregnancies. Personality characteristics, social status and migration background show however no significant association with breastfeeding duration.
Conclusions: Our study results support the promotion of individuals’ breastfeeding intention and attendance to antenatal classes to increase breastfeeding duration. Since differences in breastfeeding practices have the potential to create inequalities in maternal and child health, more efforts are needed to intensify research on modifiable factors influencing breastfeeding duration.
Background: Neighbourhood possesses attributes, structural, physical and social, for which pathways to health inequalities could be hypothesized. Hence, neighbourhood is a complex mixture of factors which cannot be simply defined by a delineation on a map, making common definitions of neighbourhood (e.g. administrative borders) problematic. We present a new concept for the evaluation of contextual health inequalities in an urban setting.
Methods: An ego-centred approach to neighbourhood effects on health allows to establish to what degree the health outcomes of a person are on average correlated to the health outcomes of his/her neighbours. This approach does not necessitate the definition of what a neighbourhood is, or of its boundaries. Using data from the BaBi birth cohort following up 958 mother-child pairs in Bielefeld/Germany we illustrate how the method provides information about the spatial structure of a possible association between unmeasured neighbourhood factors and birthweight. Spatially correlated birthweight indicates a neighbourhood effect on maternal health.
Results: A parametric model of the correlation structure gives two indicators: a distance after which health outcomes are no longer correlated (practical range), and the strength of correlation (RSV). We modelled birthweight directly and residuals after controlling for (spatially correlated) covariates. After adjusting for the mother’s demographics and neighbourhood characteristics, birthweights remained spatially correlated with RSV of 11% and a practical range of 128 m.
Conclusions: Modelling the spatial correlation of a health outcome provides a measure of the degree of health correlation, thus offering new evidence on the production of health inequalities while incorporating current modelling approaches. Moreover, it measures heterogeneity in a city. This could be used as an indicator for policy makers or town planners to identify areas in need of socioeconomic investment.
Ziel der Studie: Die medizinische Versorgung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist von Verteilungsproblemen geprägt. Vor allem in ländlichen Regionen droht Unterversorgung. In dieser Studie wurde untersucht, wie ältere Bewohner des Landkreises Oberspreewald-Lausitz (OSL) des Bundeslandes Brandenburg ihre derzeitige medizinische Versorgungssituation einschätzen und welche Wünsche und Bedenken sie hinsichtlich deren zukünftigen Entwicklung im Jahr 2030 haben.
Methodik: In der vorliegenden Querschnitterhebung wurden 3006 Einwohner im Alter von 50–56 Jahren und von 65–71 Jahren des Landkreises OSL befragt. Ein Fragebogen mit geschlossenem und offenem Antwortformat wurde zur Erfassung der Zielstellung eingesetzt.
Ergebnisse: In der vorliegenden Untersuchung äußerten sich die Einwohner des Landkreises OSL aktuell zufrieden oder sehr zufrieden mit der hausärztlichen (93,1%) und der fachärztlichen Versorgung (83,3%). Innerhalb des Landkreises zeigen sich in einigen Regionen Defizite. Im Gebiet Lauchhammer/Schwarzheide äußerten sich insbesondere zur fachärztlichen Versorgung 27,1% der Befragten unzufrieden oder sehr unzufrieden. Alternative und ergänzende Versorgungsangebote wie die Community Nurse sind akzeptierte, jedoch derzeit unterrepräsentierte Maßnahmen zur Sicherstellung der zukünftigen medizinischen Versorgung.
Schlussfolgerung: Derzeit zeigen sich Bewohner des ländlichen, metropolenfernen Landkreises OSL zufrieden mit der ambulanten medizinischen Versorgung, jedoch stellen sich in einigen Regionen Defizite, insbesondere bei der zukünftigen Facharztversorgung dar. Alternative Versorgungsangebote wie Telemedizin sind seitens der Bewohner gewünschte Maßnahmen zur Ergänzung und Sicherstellung der zukünftigen medizinischen Versorgung im ländlichen Raum.
Background:
Breastfeeding is beneficial for both mother and child. In Germany, national guidelines recommend fully breastfeeding for at least 4 months, which has only been reached by 34% in 2012. The WHO's aim of exclusively breastfeeding for six months was reached by 19% only. Socio-economic status and migration background have been identified to be associated with duration of breastfeeding but little is known about the impact of psychosocial factors e.g. personality traits and social support. We hypothesized that there are differences in the psychosocial profiles of mothers regarding the duration of breastfeeding.
Methods:
Baseline and follow up data of the Bielefeld BaBi birth cohort (2013 – 16) were analysed. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed in order to identify psychosocial determinants for fully breastfeeding for four and six months.
Results:
Out of 780 BaBi study participants, 548 fully breastfeed for four months (70.3%) and 279 continued until at least six months (35.8%). Logistic regression analyses shows that fully breastfeeding for at least four or six months is independently associated with the intention to breastfeed (OR 7.3 [C.I. 4.54.-11.21) and the attendance of antenatal class (OR 1.4 [C.I. 1.01.-2.06). Personality characteristics, social status und migration background showed no significant association with breastfeeding duration.
Conclusion:
Our study results suggest to promote individuals' breastfeeding intention and the attendance of antenatal classes to increase breastfeeding duration. Since differences in breastfeeding practices have the potential to create inequalities in mother and child health, more efforts are needed to intensify research on modifiable factors influencing breastfeeding duration.
Hintergrund:
Im ersten Lebensjahr erfolgt ein schrittweiser Übergang von Muttermilch bzw. Säuglingsmilchnahrung zur Familienkost, wobei die erste Gabe von Beikost zwischen 5. und 7. Lebensmonat erfolgen soll. Es ist wenig bekannt über soziodemographische bzw. klinische Einflussfaktoren auf die Beikosteinführung.
Methodik:
Datengrundlage der vorliegenden Untersuchung waren Baseline und erstes Follow-Up der Bielefelder Geburtskohorte BaBi (2013 – 2016, n = 777). Angaben zur Stilldauer, Einführung von Beikost sowie der Getränkegabe vor und während der Einführung von Beikost wurden telefonisch erhoben, als die Säuglinge zwischen neun und 12 Monaten alt waren. Einflussfaktoren auf die Beikosteinführung wurden mittels bi-und multivariater Datenanalyse untersucht.
Ergebnisse:
Bei Einführung der Beikost waren die Säuglinge im Mittel 5,4 ± 1,2 Monate alt. 2,6% der Säuglinge waren jünger als vier Monate, 12,5% der Säuglinge waren älter als 6,5 Monate. Lineare Regressionsanalysen zeigten eine direkte Assoziation zwischen der ausschließlichen Stilldauer bzw. dem Säuglingsalter bei letzter Mutter-/Säuglingsmilchgabe und dem Beikostbeginn (b = 0,31 [95%KI = 0,26 – 0,36; p ≤ 0,001; b = 0,12 [95% KI 0,07 – 0,18], p ≤ 0,001). Mütterliche Determinanten wie Alter, Bildungsstatus, Migrationsstatus, Familienstand, Parität, pränataler BMI und Rauchstatus vor und während der Schwangerschaft hatten keinen Einfluss auf den Beginn der Beikostgabe. 73,6% der befragten Frauen gaben an, schon einmal Probleme mit dem Füttern seit Beginn der Beikosteinführung gehabt zu haben.
Diskussion:
In der vorliegenden Analyse erfolgte der Beikostbeginn unabhängig von soziodemographischen und klinischen Parametern, jedoch führte längeres ausschließliches Stillen bzw. längere Mutter-/Säuglingsmilchgabe zu einem späteren Beikostbeginn. Weitere Untersuchungen sind notwendig, um Art, Umfang und mögliche Auswirkungen berichteter Probleme bei der Beikosteinführung bzw. eines verzögerten Beikostbeginns auf Mutter und Kind zu quantifizieren.
Einleitung:
In Deutschland raucht noch immer etwa jede fünfte junge Frau Tabakzigaretten. Gleichzeitig erfreuen sich E-Zigaretten auch in Deutschland insbesondere unter jungen Erwachsenen zunehmender Beliebtheit. Maternaler Nikotinkonsum birgt schwerwiegende Risiken für die Schwangere und das Kind. Das Ziel dieser Studie war es, den Konsum von Tabak- und E-Zigaretten sowie die Risikowahrnehmung bezüglich E-Zigaretten unter Schwangeren zu erfassen.
Methode:
In der STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) wurden im Rahmen eines quantitativen Studienteils für 575 Schwangere an einer Geburtsklinik in Hamburg von April 2018 bis Januar 2019 die Tabak- und die E-Zigarettennutzung erfasst. In einem qualitativen netnographischen Studienteil wurden insgesamt über 1.000 Posts in webbasierten Schwangerschaftsforen inhaltsanalytisch ausgewertet.
Ergebnisse:
Unmittelbar vor der Schwangerschaft nutzten 26,9% der Schwangeren Tabakzigaretten und 7,8% E-Zigaretten. Die Prävalenzen reduzierten sich dann im ersten Trimenon auf 9,0% für Tabakzigaretten und 0,5% für E-Zigaretten. Am Ende der Schwangerschaft rauchten noch 3,1% aller Befragten Tabakzigaretten – darunter jede Vierte mehr als 10 Zigaretten/Tag – und 0,2% nutzten durchgängig E-Zigaretten. Die netnographische Analyse zeigte eine große Verunsicherung bei Schwangeren hinsichtlich der Risiken der E-Zigarettennutzung.
Diskussion:
Die Ergebnisse zeigten für das hier untersuchte Kollektiv, dass noch immer etwa jede zehnte Schwangere zu Beginn der Schwangerschaft Tabakzigaretten raucht. Dagegen ist E-Zigarettenkonsum in der Schwangerschaft nur wenig verbreitet, wenngleich er im Internet teilweise als unschädlich, harmlos und als Alternative zur Tabakzigarette diskutiert wird. Im Rahmen der Prävention sollten die potenziellen Gesundheitsgefahren und die umstrittene Wirksamkeit der E-Zigarette als Tabakentwöhnungshilfe thematisiert und von der E-Zigarettennutzung in der Schwangerschaft dringend abgeraten werden.
Hintergrund:
Sozioökonomische Ungleichheiten in der gesundheitlichen Versorgung werden häufig krankheitsspezifisch untersucht, während die Evidenz zu Unterschieden in der Inanspruchnahme in der Gesamtbevölkerung bislang unzureichend ist. Ziel der Arbeit ist es, den internationalen Stand zum Zusammenhang zwischen dem Sozialstatus und der Inanspruchnahme von Haus- und Fachärzten systematisch aufzubereiten.
Methode:
In den Datenbanken Medline und Web of Science wurde eine systematische Literaturrecherche durchgeführt, um quantitative Studien aus den Jahren 2003 bis 2018 zu identifizieren. Von 1214 Treffern werden aktuell 69 Volltexte in Hinblick auf die Einschlusskriterien überprüft.
Ergebnisse:
Die Inanspruchnahme wird entweder als „Anzahl der Arztkontakte“ gemessen oder zwischen Nutzung und Nicht-Nutzung eines Haus- oder Facharztes in einem bestimmten Zeitraum unterschieden. Die bisher gesichteten Studien deuten darauf hin, dass sich die sozioökonomischen Ungleichheiten in der Inanspruchnahme der haus- und fachärztlichen Versorgung unterscheiden. Während Fachärzte seltener von Menschen mit niedrigem Sozialstatus aufgesucht werden, sind die Ungleichheiten bei Hausärzten geringer und die Studien konnten entweder keine sozioökonomischen Unterschiede aufzeigen oder fanden, dass Menschen mit niedrigem Sozialstatus häufiger eine Primärversorgung in Anspruch nehmen.
Diskussion:
Sozioökonomische Unterschiede zu Ungunsten der sozial benachteiligten Bevölkerung bestehen möglicherweise deutlicher bei Fachärzten im Vergleich zu Hausärzten. Gerade in der Inanspruchnahme von Fachärzten besteht daher Handlungsbedarf zur Verringerung der Ungleichheiten, um eine bedarfsgerechte Inanspruchnahme der Versorgung zu gewährleisten. Mögliche Gründe für die Unterschiede sollen bei einem Vergleich der Studien untersucht werden, um Implikationen für eine Verbesserung der Versorgung abzuleiten.
Background:
While health inequalities among young people are well described, the underlying mechanisms have been explored far less. Compositional and contextual characteristics of institutional contexts (e.g. kindergartens, schools) are likely to shape health inequalities among young people and may have an impact above and beyond individual-level determinants. The general research objectives of the research unit are to empirically study if characteristics of different institutional contexts are associated with the emergence of individual-level inequalities in health and c) to integrate findings from different life stages into a comprehensive theoretical model about the key mechanisms at individual and contextual levels.
Methods and analysis:
Building upon reviews of the existing evidence, each of the five subprojects of the research unit will analyse secondary data (cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys). The subprojects will focus on institutional contexts that serve as major socialization agents in society, such as the family, kindergarten, school, tertiary education/work, as well as the health care system. Linear or logistic multilevel modelling will be applied in order to examine the role of institutional characteristics for young people's health and health inequalities at the individual level.
Ethics and dissemination:
The dissemination activities include the publication of results in peer-reviewed journals, at international and national scientific conferences, as well as press releases in written and broadcast media to inform relevant stakeholders and the lay public. In the first funding stage, the research unit only uses secondary data of existing datasets. Therefore, ethical approval is not required.
Hintergrund: Der Wohnort kann eine Dimension sozialer Ungleichheiten darstellen, und es gibt Hinweise dafür, dass sich dieser bereits auf die perinatale Entwicklung auswirken könnte. Die zugrunde liegenden Wirkmechanismen sind nach wie vor unbekannt; theorie-basierte und hypothesengeleitete Analysen fehlen. Um diesen Herausforderungen zu begegnen, untersucht diese Studie, inwieweit kleinräumige Merkmale zu einem niedrigen Geburtsgewicht beitragen, unabhängig von individuellen Merkmalen. Auf der Grundlage eines konzeptionellen Modells1 wurden kleinräumige Merkmale ausgewählt, erhoben und deren Auswirkungen auf niedriges Geburtsgewicht analysiert.
Methoden: Die Individualdaten stammen aus der Geburtskohortenstudie „Gesundheit von Babys und Kindern in Bielefeld“.
Die Stichprobe besteht aus 958 Frauen und ihren Säuglingen, verteilt auf 80 statistische Bezirke in Bielefeld. Kleinräumige Daten wurden anhand von lokalen Lärmkarten, dem Emissionskataster, Google Street View und dem Melderegister erhoben.
Zur Quantifizierung des Einflusses kleinräumiger Merkmale wurde eine lineare Mehrebenenanalyse mit einer Zwei-Ebenen-Struktur (Individuen, die in statistische Bezirke eingebettet sind) durchgeführt.
Ergebnisse: Insgesamt sind die Auswirkungen der ausgewählten kleinräumigen Merkmale gering bis nicht existent, es zeigen sich keine signifikanten Effekten für niedriges Geburtsgewicht. Tendenziell weisen Neugeborene aus ästhetisch weniger ansprechenden und subjektiv unsicher wahrgenommenen Stadtteilen einen höheren Anteil an niedrigem Geburtsgewicht auf.
Schlussfolgerungen: Die Analyse liefert keine eindeutigen Hinweise auf negative Auswirkungen kleinräumiger Faktoren auf ein niedriges Geburtsgewicht. Auf methodischer Seite bestätigt die Studie, dass ein angemessener Stichprobenumfang, eine zuverlässige Expositionsabschätzung und die Operationalisierung des kleinräumigen Kontextes mit Blick auf die verfügbaren Daten die zentralen Herausforderungen des Forschungsfeldes darstellen.
Hintergrund: In Deutschland greift ein Zehntel der Schwangeren zur Tabakzigarette. Gleichzeitig verbreiten sich E-Zigaretten
insbesondere unter jungen Erwachsenen in Deutschland zunehmend. Das Ziel dieser Studie war es, die aktive und passive Exposition
durch E-Zigaretten- und Tabakzigaretten sowie die Einstellung zur E-Zigarette unter Schwangeren in Deutschland zu
erforschen.
Methoden: Im Rahmen der STEP (STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy) beantworteten 575 Schwangere an einer Geburtsklinik
in Hamburg von April 2018 bis Januar 2019 Fragen zur E-Zigaretten- und Tabakzigarettenexposition sowie ihren Einstellungen
zur E-Zigarette.
Ergebnisse: Insgesamt nutzten 1,2% der Befragten ausschließlich E-Zigaretten, 6,7% E- und Tabakzigaretten und 20,3% ausschließlich
Tabakzigaretten vor der Schwangerschaft. In der Schwangerschaft nutzten 0,5% E-Zigaretten und 9,1% Tabakzigaretten.
86,9% aller Schwangeren waren der Ansicht, dass E-Zigaretten nicht als Alternative zu Tabakzigaretten genutzt
werden sollten. Befragte, die die Tabakzigarette während der Schwangerschaft nutzten, vertraten seltener diese Einstellung
als Nichtnutzer (78,0% vs. 88,0%; p=0,045). Der aktuelle Konsum der E-Zigarette (bzw. Tabakzigarette) durch den Partner
erfolgte bei 5,5% (bzw. 24,4%) der Befragten. 18,5% (bzw. 9,3%) der Partner mit E-Zigarettenkonsum (bzw. Tabakzigarettenkonsum)
konsumierten zuhause.
Schlussfolgerungen: Die aktive E-Zigarettenexposition ist – im Gegensatz zur aktiven Tabakzigarettenexposition - in der
Schwangerschaft bisher gering. Gleichzeitig kommt eine passive Exposition durch den konsumierenden Partner von Schwangeren
häufiger bei der E-Zigarette vor. Die Ergebnisse betonen die Wichtigkeit der weiterführenden Tabakprävention und der
Erforschung der Gesundheitsrisiken des Passivdampfes in der Schwangerschaft.
Objective
Previous studies have shown that e-cigarettes are perceived as being less harmful than tobacco cigarettes by pregnant women and might be used to quit smoking during pregnancy. Our aim was to further explore and characterise perceived threats, benefits and barriers of e-cigarette use during pregnancy.
Methods
Our STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) was, among others, based on a netnographic approach of analysing existing threads in German-speaking online discussion forums dealing with perceived threats and benefits of e-cigarette use during pregnancy. For the analysis, we used an inductive-deductive qualitative content analysis.
Findings
Based on 25 online discussion threads containing 1552 posts, we identified perceived threats, perceived benefits and perceived barriers to e-cigarette use during pregnancy, among others, as main themes. Subthemes identified within the main theme perceived threats were severe nicotine related health risks, potential health risks of additional ingredients, relative risks and lack of knowledge and research studies. As perceived benefits, we identified possibility and facilitation of smoking cessation, harm reduction and financial benefits. Perceived barriers were lack of satisfaction and social stigma.
Conclusion
Our qualitative results suggest that the perception of the health threats related to e-cigarette use during pregnancy varies according to the nicotine content and the perception of relative risks compared with tobacco cigarettes. In addition to this, risk perception is defined through further health and non-health related barriers and benefits (e.g. suitability of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid, social stigma).
Background: Health disparities, including adverse birth outcomes, exist between Turkish immigrants and the autochthonous population in Germany. The state of research on the risk of preterm birth (PTB, defined as <37 weeks of gestation), the leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity, among Turkish immigrant women is mixed. Perceived discrimination is discussed in the context of health disparities related to migration. We examined whether PTB risk is also increased in Turkish immigrant women in Germany and whether perceived discrimination due to origin contributes to this risk.
Methods: We selected a sample from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study of German autochthonous and Turkish immigrant women who recently gave birth (between 2002 and 2016) (N = 2,525, incl. n = 217 Turkish immigrant women of which n = 111 completed an item on perceived discrimination). The included variables of central interest were immigrant status, perceived discrimination, gestational age, and socioeconomic situation.
Results: Logistic regression models indicated that PTB risk was significantly higher for Turkish immigrant women than autochthonous women (OR: 2.75, 95% CI [1.79–4.16]), even when adjusting for socioeconomic status. Within the subsample of Turkish immigrant women, perceived discrimination was related to a significantly higher PTB risk (OR: 4.91, 95% CI [1.76–15.06]).
Conclusions: Our study provides evidence for a higher PTB risk in Turkish immigrant women compared to autochthonous women in Germany. Perceived discrimination may contribute to this higher risk. The findings represent an important first step towards developing targeted interventions to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes in minority groups.
Background:
The population-based mammography screening program (MSP) is aimed to reduce breast cancer mortality, to detect breast cancer at an early stage, and to allow for less invasive treatment. However, it also has
some potential harms, such as overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Therefore, it is necessary that women receive sufficient and balanced information to enable informed decision-making. We examined knowledge about benefits and harms of the MSP in Germany among first-time invitees of different socio-demographic backgrounds.
Methods:
This observational study assessed knowledge about benefits and harms of the MSP among women who were invited to the MSP for the first time by six multiple choice items, using a postal survey. We investigated (i)
single items of knowledge, (ii) the distribution of sufficient knowledge stratified by education, migration status and
invitation, and (iii) possible determinants of sufficient knowledge by analyzing Odds Ratios (ORs) using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression.
Results:
In total, 5397 women included in the analyses. 46.1% of the study population had sufficient knowledge about benefits and harms of the MSP. However, women with low educational level and migration background had
higher proportions of insufficient knowledge and used most frequently the option “don’t know”. Women had the most difficulties answering the numeric question and the question about the target group correctly. Results from the logistic regression showed that the odds of having sufficient knowledge were higher among well-educated women (OR 3.84, 95%CI 3.24–4.55), among women who already received the MSP invitation (OR 1.38, 95%CI 1.20–1.59) and lowest among Turkish women (OR 0.14, 95%CI 0.07–0.25).
Conclusions:
Women with low education and migration background need adapted information regarding benefits and harms of the MSP and are important target groups for further developing the information material about
mammography screening to reduce disparities in knowledge and enable informed decision-making.
Background: Informed choice is of ethical and practical importance in mammography screening. To assess the level to which decisions regarding such screening are informed is thus imperative, but no specific instrument has been available to measure informed choice in the German mammography screening programme. The aims of this study were to develop the Informed Choice in Mammography Screening Questionnaire (IMQ) and to find first evidence for the factor structure, reliability and validity of its different components.
Methods: The IMQ was sent to 17.349 women aged 50 in Westphalia-Lippe, Germany. The instrument has been developed after consideration of (1) the results of qualitative interviews on decision making in the mammography screening programme, (2) relevant literature on other informed choice instruments and (3) a qualitative study on influencing factors. The IMQ comprises 3 scales (attitude, norms, and barriers), 1 index (knowledge) and singular items covering intention to participate and sociodemographic variables. To assess the psychometric properties of the components of the IMQ, confirmatory factor and item response theory analyses were conducted. Additionally, reliability, validity and item statistics were assessed.
Results: 5.847 questionnaires were returned (response rate 33.7%). For attitude, the confirmatory factor analysis supported a one-factor structure. For norms, the model fit was not acceptable. Reliability levels were good with a Cronbach‘s α of.793 for attitude (4 items) and.795 for norms (5 items). For barriers, 9 items were deleted because of low discrimination indices; 6 items remained. The hypothesised assumption-subscale and the importance-subscale were confirmed, but these subscales showed poor reliabilities with Cronbach‘s α=.525 (4 items) and.583 (2 items). For the knowledge index, item response theory analysis showed that 6 out of 7 items were suitable. Hypotheses concerning the correlations between the different components were confirmed, which supported their convergent and divergent validity.
Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that the IMQ is a multidimensional instrument. Further development of the barriers and norms scales is necessary. The IMQ can be utilised to assess the level of informed choices as well as influencing factors.
Background:
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has an age-dependent prevalence of 10% in adults. The majority of CKD patients are treated in general practice. Although international guidelines recommend referral in patients with GFR <30, the German Societies for Nephrology and Internal Medicine recommend specialist referral for all subjects with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <45 or eGFR 45-59 ml/min/ 1,73m2 with additional risk factors. This analysis was performed to evaluate the public health implications of lowering the threshold value for referral.
Methods:
Data of the population based cohort Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-2) were analysed to estimate the proportion of subjects who meet different referral criteria, billing data to estimate actual referral rate and public health implications of implementing different referral criteria were estimated with regard to cost and health resources utilization.
Results:
Data of 2328 subjects from SHIP-2 (53% female; age M = 57 Jahre, SD = 14)were analyzed. 3% of subjects had eGFR<45ml/min/1,73m2. 6% had an eGFR between 45-59 ml/min/1,73m2. Proposed German referral criteria were met by 8% of subjects, with 41% in the age group 80+ meeting referral criteria, wheras NICE and KDIGO criteria limited referral to 1-2%. Yearly referral as estimated from billing data was ca.2%. Results are preliminary and data comparing cost and health resources utilization will be available at the conference.
Conclusions:
Adherence to the proposed German referral criteria would greatly increase the number of referrals, especially in the elderly. This can lead to a major increase in cost, as well as serious problems with respect to the capacity of the nephrological workforce. Because of lack of a specific nephrological therapy in earlier stages of CKD in patients without additional risk factors, the benefit of increasing referrals in this group seems doubtful. Referral criteria for common medical conditions should be evaluated rigorously.
Background:
Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the most severe risk factors for early child death and developmental impairment. Epidemiological research suggests that immigrants from lower to higher income countries exhibit a health decline over time that is transmitted to the offspring generation in which health disparities become prevalent already at a very early age in terms of adverse birth outcomes. Perceived discrimination (PD) is discussed in the context of health disparities related to migration. The relationship between PD and health outcomes is still understudied among Turkish immigrants in Germany. We examined whether PD contributes to PTB risk in Turkish immigrant women.
Methods:
We used data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). The newborn questionnaire (“Mother-Child: Age 0-1”, 2003 – 2016, v33) provided information on birth outcomes and we included information on maternal socioeconomic situation, migration background and PD due to origin (for Turkish immigrant women only) that were collected in the survey before birth. The final sample comprised N = 2,525 (8.60% Turkish immigrant women). A dummy variable indicating occurrence of PTB (0 = non PTB, i.e. ≥ 37 wks of gestation, 1 = PTB, i.e. < 37 weeks of gestation) was used as the outcome variable in logistic regression models.
Results:
Logistic regression models on the whole sample indicated a higher risk of PTB among Turkish compared to German native women (OR: 2.75) that remained after adjusting for socioeconomic status. Within the subsample of Turkish women, prenatal PD was related to a higher risk for PTB (OR: 4.91).
Conclusions:
Unlike in other studies we found evidence for a higher prevalence of PTB among Turkish immigrant women in the SOEP data. PD may explain the prevalence of PTB among Turkish immigrant women in Germany. There is a need for further research examining the impact of discrimination on the intergenerational transmission of health disparities among Turkish immigrants in Germany.
Die Sozialepidemiologie befasst sich mit der sozialen Verteilung von Erkrankungsrisiken und Gesundheitschancen und den daraus resultierenden gesundheitlichen Ungleichheiten. Für die letzten 20 Jahre lässt sich ein kontinuierlicher Zuwachs an sozialepidemiologischen Forschungsbefunden in Deutschland konstatieren. Mit den gesundheitlichen Ungleichheiten und den sozialen Determinanten der Gesundheit adressiert die Sozialepidemiologie Kernbereiche von Public Health, deren Bearbeitung auch in Zukunft erheblichen Einfluss auf die wissenschaftlichen, politischen und praxisorientierten Perspektiven des Fachs haben dürfte.
Das Zusammenspiel zwischen Migration, Gesundheit und sozialer Lage ist durch verschiedene Wirkmechanismen gekennzeichnet. Die soziale Lage beeinflusst gesundheitliche Chancen und Risiken sowie die Migration selbst und trägt dazu bei, ob migrationsbedingte Einflüsse auf die Gesundheit verstärkt oder abgeschwächt werden. Migration ist bedeutend für die Erklärung gesundheitlicher Ungleichheit, obgleich Verzerrungen und Messartefakte bei Interpretationen berücksichtigt werden müssen.
Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is age-dependent and has a high prevalence in the general population. Most patients are managed in ambulatory care. This systematic review provides an updated overview of quality and content of international clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis and management of non-dialysis CKD relevant to patients in ambulatory care. Methods: We identified guidelines published from 2012-to March 2018 in guideline portals, databases and by manual search. Methodological quality was assessed with the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument.
Recommendations were extracted and evaluated.
Results: Eight hundred fifty-two publications were identified, 9 of which were eligible guidelines. Methodological quality ranged from 34 to 77%, with domains “scope and purpose” and “clarity of presentation” attaining highest and “applicability” lowest scores. Guidelines were similar in recommendations on CKD definition, screening of patients with diabetes and hypertension, blood pressure targets and referral of patients with progressive or stage G4 CKD. Definition of high risk groups and recommended tests in newly diagnosed CKD varied.
Conclusions: Guidelines quality ranged from moderate to high. Guidelines generally agreed on management of patients with high risk or advanced CKD, but varied in regarding the range of recommended measurements, the need for referrals to nephrology, monitoring intervals and comprehensiveness. More research is needed on efficient management of patients with low risk of CKD progression to end stage renal disease.
Aim: In Germany, very little is known about the need for assistance and nursing care support among cancer patients after hospitalization. The aim of this study was to describe nursing care support for cancer patients and to analyse whether these patients need more care assistance than other persons in need for care.
Methods: This was a registry linkage study conducted in 2011. Cases were identified from the population-based cancer registry for the Muenster District in north-western Germany and in factually anonymised form linked by a semi-automatic probabilistic procedure (the standard procedure of the cancer registry) with medical examination records of patients applying for assistance and nursing care support from the regional statutory health insurance. The application records of 4,029 patients with colon, breast and prostate cancer were compared to a reference group of 13,104 non-cancer patients.
Results: In only 41.7% of colon, 45.8% of breast and 37.4% of prostate cancer patients was the malignancy the main underlying diagnostic cause for the application of assistance and nursing care. These patients were on average younger (mean age 71.1 vs. 76.8 years) than the non-cancer reference group, required higher levels of support (79.5 vs. 58.1% “considerable” or higher level care need) and their applications were less likely to be rejected (odds ratios [ORs] 0.26, 0.28, and 0.31, respectively). By contrast, the proportion of successful applications and the level of support granted did not differ between multimorbid cancer patients with other main diagnoses as compared to non-cancer applicants.
Conclusion: Patients with colon, breast or prostate cancer do not need per se more nursing care than non-cancer patients. Only if cancer is the main underlying diagnosis for nursing care support, higher levels of support are needed.
Der Zusammenhang zwischen Migration und Gesundheit ist vielschichtig. In aktuellen Erklärungsmodellen werden verschiedene Determinanten und Dimensionen angeführt, die über den Lebenslauf von Migranten zu gesundheitlichen Vor- und Nachteilen führen können. Gesundheitsversorgung und Public Health in einem Einwanderungsland wie Deutschland müssen diese gesundheitlichen Unterschiede beachten und – neben den bei besonderen Risikokonstellationen notwendigen gezielten Maßnahmen für Migranten – sich insgesamt so ausrichten, dass sie der Diversität der Bevölkerung gerecht werden. Besondere Chancen bieten dabei Ansätze, die im Rahmen von integrierten kommunalen Strategien zur Gesundheitsförderung die Bedarfe der Menschen in ihren Lebenswelten aufgreifen.
Hintergrund: Herausforderungen, wie die geringste Hausarztdichte Deutschlands und eine ungünstige Altersstruktur beeinflussen die ärztliche Versorgung in strukturschwachen Regionen Brandenburgs. Das Forschungsprojekt DIGILOG untersucht im Rahmen des Gesundheitscampus Brandenburg die Zufriedenheit der älteren Bevölkerung mit dem Zugang zur Haus- und Facharztversorgung.
Methoden: Anfang 2018 wurden per standardisiertem Fragebogen mit sowohl geschlossenen als auch offenen Fragen 3.006 zufällig ausgewählte 50 – 70-jährige Einwohner im Landkreis Oberspreewald-Lausitz zu soziodemografischen Merkmalen sowie zur aktuellen und künftigen Haus- und Facharztversorgung befragt. Die Response beträgt 17,5% und ergibt eine Stichprobe mit einem Durchschnittsalter von 62 Jahren (51% weiblich).
Ergebnisse: Der Zugang gilt als zufriedenstellend (Hausarzt (HA) 93%, Facharzt (FA) 87,8%). Es werden künftig Berentung, mangelnde Nachfolge und lange Wartezeiten befürchtet. 84% haben im letzten Jahr einen FA konsultiert (häufigste: Augenarzt (93 ×), Urologe, Orthopäde (je 74 ×). Der HA ist in rund x̃ = 4 km [0 – 64] und 10 Min. [0 – 90], der FA in x̃ = 15 km [0 – 338] und 20 Min. [0 – 338] überwiegend mit dem Auto (HA 60,9%; FA 77%) erreichbar. Beim HA wird 59 Min. [0 – 180], beim FA 57 Min. [0 – 240] gewartet.
Schlussfolgerungen: Obwohl derzeit der Zugang trotz offener Arztstellen insgesamt noch zufriedenstellend ist, drohen in naher Zukunft Versorgungsdefizite, zeitnah besonders in der fachärztlichen Versorgung. Neue Versorgungskonzepte, wie Community Nurses oder digitale Lösungen, könnten diese z.T. auffangen und Wartezeiten bei akuten Beschwerden verkürzen.
Integrierte Strategien zur kommunalen Gesundheitsförderung in multikulturellen Gesellschaften
(2018)
Hintergrund: Der Zusammenhang zwischen Migration und Gesundheit ist komplex. Aktuelle Erklärungsmodelle führen Faktoren an, die bei Migranten zu gesundheitlichen Vor- aber auch Nachteilen führen können. Angebote der Gesundheitsförderung müssen sich – neben gezielten Maßnahmen für Migranten – so ausrichten, dass sie der Diversität der Bevölkerung gerecht werden. Neue Chancen bieten dabei integrierte kommunale Strategien zur Gesundheitsförderung, die die Bedarfe der Menschen in ihren Lebenswelten adressieren.
Methoden: Basierend auf theoretischen und empirischen Arbeiten sowie Praxisbeispielen aus dem Bereich Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention werden anhand von sechs Bausteinen Ansätze für eine migrationssensible, integrierte kommunale Gesundheitsförderung entwickelt.
Ergebnisse: Wesentliche Bausteine einer integrierten Gesundheitsförderungsstrategie beinhalten: migrationssensible Gesundheitsberichterstattung, ressortübergreifende Vernetzung von lokalen Gesundheitsförderungsakteuren unter Einbindung von Migrantenorganisationen, strukturelle Verankerung von „Kümmererfunktionen“ (z.B. Koordinierungsstelle Migration & Gesundheit), Strukturentwicklung im Quartier, Qualifizierung von Fachkräften zu Diversität und Gesundheit, interkulturelle Öffnung der kommunalen Verwaltung.
Schlussfolgerungen: Die strukturelle Verankerung von Gesundheit mittels integrierter kommunaler Strategien bietet neue Möglichkeiten für die Umsetzung von Diversity Mainstreamingprozessen, wie einer fachbereichsübergreifenden Vernetzung und interkulturellen Öffnung der Verwaltung. Neben den sechs Bausteinen erfordert integriertes Handeln bei der Entwicklung von gesunden Lebenswelten eine diversitätssensible Grundhaltung, interkulturelle Kompetenz und die Partizipation von Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund.
Our aim was to provide data regarding uptake of gynecological early detection measures and performance of breast self-examinations among migrant women in Germany. Cross-sectional self-reported data were collected using paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Descriptive analyses, Chi square-tests, and logistic regression were applied. Results were adjusted for educational level. Of 5387 women, 89.9% were autochthonous, 4.1% German resettlers, 2.8% Turkish, 3.1% other migrants. Participation rates regarding cancer screening differed significantly, with the lowest proportion in Turkish migrants (65.0%), resettlers (67.8%), other migrants (68.2%) and autochthonous population (78.2%). No differences in performance of breast self-examinations were detected. When adjusted for education, results indicated only slight changes in the odds to participate in screening irregularly or not at all. Results support existing evidence by showing lower participation rates in cancer screening among migrant women, but there were no differences regarding breast self-examinations. Migrant women form a potential high-risk group for late-stage diagnosis of cervical or breast cancer.
Die Rekrutierung von Studienteilnehmern aller relevanten Bevölkerungsgruppen stellt eine der Herausforderungen in der (sozial-)epidemiologischen Forschung dar. Es existiert eine Vielzahl von Strategien, die der Rekrutierung von ethnischen Minderheiten und bestimmter Migrantengruppen dienen können. Unklar ist bisher, ob diese Strategien auch bei der Etablierung einer Geburtskohorte geeignet sind. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Darstellung und Evaluation von Rekrutierungsstrategien für Migrantinnen in einer Geburtskohorte am Beispiel der BaBi-Studie. Die Rekrutierung erfolgte von Oktober 2013 bis Oktober 2016. Als Vorbereitung wurden Fokusgruppen mit Schwangeren und Müttern und leitfadengestützte Experteninterviews mit Hebammen und GynäkologInnen durchgeführt, um Studienmaterialien, Befragungsinstrumente und Sprachpräferenzen zu prüfen. In der Vorstudie wurden unterschiedliche Rekrutierungswege getestet. Im Rekrutierungsverlauf fand eine kontinuierliche Evaluation statt, um erfolgreiche Rekrutierungsstrategien für Teilnehmerinnen mit Migrationshintergrund zu ermitteln und anzupassen. Von den eingeschlossenen 980 Teilnehmerinnen hatten 390 einen Migrationshintergrund (40%). Es wurden aktive und passive Rekrutierungsstrategien verfolgt, in denen u. a. türkische Übersetzungen und multikulturelles Personal zum Einsatz kamen. Für die passive Rekrutierung über gynäkologische Praxen und Hebammen mussten die schwangeren Frauen und Wöchnerinnen eine hohe Motivation für die Rekrutierung mitbringen. Die aktive Rekrutierung in den Geburtskliniken (Ansprache durch Study-Nurses) erhöhte den Anteil an Teilnehmerinnen mit Migrationshintergrund von 22 auf 49% aller Teilnehmerinnen. Durch frühzeitige Überprüfungen und Anpassungen der Zugangswege konnte die Teilnahmebereitschaft erhöht werden.
Für die Rekrutierung von Frauen mit Migrationshintergrund sind gründliche Vorbereitungen in Form von Befragungen (Fokusgruppen, Leitfadeninterviews) und einer Vorstudie sinnvoll. Von Beginn an sind Verfahren zur frühzeitigen Evaluation der unterschiedlichen Rekrutierungsstrategien und ein erhöhter Personalaufwand (z. B. für (Rück-/ Übersetzungen) einzuplanen). Der Einschluss von Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund in sozialepidemiologischen Studien sollte in Deutschland zur Normalität werden.
Background:Turkish-origin immigrants constitute one of the biggest migration groups in Germany where they exhibit higher levels of social disadvantage when compared to the majority population. Research has elucidated the underlying mechanisms by which social disadvantage is biologically embedded to impact health over the lifespan. However, relatively little is known about how its effects are transmitted across generations.
Aims of the study: To elucidate the effects of maternal migration status and socioeconomic status on stress-related maternal-placental-foetal (MPF) biological processes across gestation and on subsequent infant birth and health outcomes.
Methods: We are conducting a longitudinal cohort study of N = 450 child-mother dyads with serial measures across gestation and birth through the first year of life. Our proposed study population will include approximately equal numbers of Turkish-origin women in Germany, German women in Germany, Turkish women living in Turkey and their offspring. Study visits are conducted from the second trimester of pregnancy to the end of the first year of life to assess maternal socio-economic and migration-related information, psychological well-being, nutrition, medical risk variables, and MPF stress biology markers from maternal blood and saliva samples. Infant anthropometric measures, developmental outcomes and stress markers in saliva are assessed throughout the first year of life.
Analyses: We will test specific hypotheses regarding the association between migration background, socioeconomic status and MPF stress biology. We will furthermore quantify the association of maternal migration background- and social disadvantage-related MPF stress biology measures on pregnancy and child health outcomes.
Discussion: This is the first study on foetal programming of health disparities with a focus on Turkish-origin women in Germany. The significance and impact of this study derives from the importance of achieving a better understanding of underlying mechanisms that alter disease vulnerability in minority and disadvantaged populations.
Background: Disparities in breastfeeding practices have been observed between migrants and majority populations in many countries. We compared breastfeeding practices among women with and without a migration background in Bielefeld, Germany, using data from a birth cohort.
Methods: In 2013-16, we conducted 967 standardised interviews with women aged over 18 during pregnancy or shortly after birth, collecting data on breastfeeding uptake and duration intention, as well as on socio-economic and migration background. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed, adjusting for clinical factors (e.g. age, parity, birthweight).
Results: Breastfeeding uptake was more common among women with a migration background than among non-immigrants (88.9% vs. 83%, p < 0.05). It was particularly high among 2nd and 3rd generation women (92%). Women with a migration background tended to intend to breastfeed longer than non-immigrants (6.2% vs 7.6% between 6 months and one year and 0.67% vs. 2.53% beyond one year). When controlling for clinical and socio-economic characteristics, only a statistically significant correlation between breastfeeding uptake and the opinion of the mother and of the partner with regard to breastfeeding remained, with a negative opinion decreasing the chances of uptake (OR 0.5; CI 0.25-0.79 and OR 0.2; CI 0.12-0.36, respectively). Mothers and partners of women with migration background were more likely to strongly support breastfeeding than those of non-immigrants. Duration intention was positively associated with having a migration background (1.98; CI 1.10-3.55) and negatively associated with income, with higher income decreasing likelihood of breastfeeding beyond 6 months (OR 0.6; CI 0.44-0.94).
Conclusions: This study found differences in breastfeeding uptake and duration intention among women with and without a migration background. This calls for public health actions targeting different socio-economic groups if one wants to come closer to the WHO recommended breastfeeding rates. Initiatives that are inclusive of the mother and the partner of the expectant women are also worth considering.
Background: In Germany, women aged 50 to 69 are invited biennially to the population-based mammography screening programme (MSP). There is still a broad discussion whether the benefits of the programme outweigh its harms. Hence, the concept of informed choice is of particular importance for MSP. The aim of this survey was to assess the proportion of informed choices among migrant and non-migrant women invited to the German MSP for the first time.
Methods: A random sample of 17,349 women aged 50 from a sub-region of North Rhine Westphalia was invited to participate in a postal cross-sectional survey conducted in German and Turkish. Turkish and other migrants were identified by country of birth and German resettlers additionally by self-reported resettler-status. Turkish migrant women were oversampled, due to expected lower response-rates. The effect of migration status on informed choice and on its three components (knowledge, attitude and intention) were assessed by chi-square tests and logistic regression modelling.
Results:5,847 (33.7%) women responded to the postal questionnaire. 4,113 complete cases were included in the analyses. The proportion of women making informed choices was low (27.1%). Turkish migrant women had the highest odds for making an uninformed choice (OR 5.30, 95%CI 1.92-14.66) independent of educational level. Other migrant groups only had slightly higher odds for making an uninformed choice (German resettlers: OR 1.50, 95%CI 1.00-2.25; other migrants: OR 1.57, 95%CI 0.96-2.57) compared to non-migrant women. Fewer Turkish and other immigrant women intended to participate in the MSP. Immigrant women had a more positive attitude and a lower proportion of sufficient knowledge compared to non-migrant women.
Conclusions: The overall proportion of informed choice in the German MSP is low and knowledge is poor.
Measures are needed to improve information materials, strengthen health literacy and create a user-friendly environment facilitating informed choices especially for migrant women.
The uptake of existing preventive and health promotion offers by migrants in Germany is rather heterogeneous, and major information gaps are noted. Current results provide limited evidence that migrants and their children seem to use prevention and health promotion services less frequently than non-migrants. In order to improve access to preventive and other health services for migrants, a combination of migrant-specific and migrant-sensitive approaches seems to be useful.
Informed choice in mammography screening program: a survey among first-time invitees in Germany
(2017)
Impact of migration background on the uptake of antenatal care: the BaBi birth cohort study, Germany
(2017)
Physical condition, nutritional status, fatigue, and quality of life in oncological out-patients
(2017)
Impact of migration background on the uptake of antenatal care: the BaBi birth cohort study, Germany
(2017)
Deeper Analysis Desirable
(2017)
„Unmet Needs“ – Unterversorgung und multimodaler Unterstützungsbedarf ambulanter Tumorpatienten
(2014)
Die onkologische Versorgung durch die niedergelassenen Schwerpunktpraxen gewinnt zunehmend an Bedeutung. In der ambulanten Unterstützung des Tumorpatienten bestehen Defizite sowohl im flächendeckenden Angebot als auch in der Wirksamkeit der angebotenen Leistungen. Im Kontext der ambulanten Versorgungssituation onkologischer Patienten in Deutschland konzentrierte sich die Forschung bislang hauptsächlich auf unimodale Interventionen. Durch eine individuelle Erfassung des Unterstützungsbedarfes können bedarfsgerechte Interventionen geplant und umgesetzt werden. Multimodale adjuvante Therapiestrategien sind eine therapeutisch wertvolle Ergänzung der medizinischen Behandlung.
Wenn Patienten sterben
(2014)