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Objective: People of Turkish origin (also referred to as “with a Turkish migrant background”) are one of the largest migrant groups in Germany and show disparities across different stress-related health outcomes. Specifically, women of Turkish origin in Germany have a greater risk for some mental health issues and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes compared to women without migrant background. We tested differences between women of Turkish origin and women without migrant background in self-reported pregnancy and postpartum stress experiences and depressive symptoms. Methods: 32 women of Turkish origin (mean age 29.7 years) and 77 women without migrant background (mean age 32 years) participated in a multi-site prospective cohort study with two study visits during pregnancy and one month postpartum. Women provided sociodemographic data and completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Center for Epidemiology – Depression (CESD) scale at each study visit. Results: Using hierarchical linear models, we found that women of Turkish origin (both first and second gen-
eration) reported more perceived stress (b = 0.57, CI: 0.29–0.84, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (b = 0.32, CI = 0.14–0.49, p < 0.001) compared to women without migrant background across gestation. A linear regression analysis showed that there was also a significant difference in depressive symptoms at one month postpartum (b = 0.35, CI = 0.03–0.66, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Tailored psychosocial interventions are needed to address mental health needs of pregnant Turkish origin women and to intervene on the possible transmission of stress-related health disadvantages to their offspring.
Background
Social health inequalities are still of great public health importance in modern societies. The COVID-19 pandemic may have affected social inequalities in people's health due to containment measures. As these measures particularly affected children, they might have been particularly vulnerable to increased social inequalities. The aim of the study was to describe health inequalities during the pandemic based on language delay (LD) in children in order to inform public health interventions for a population at risk of long-term health and education inequalities.
Methods
Data of 5–7 year old children from three consecutive school entry surveys in the German federal state of Brandenburg were used, including data compulsorily collected before the pandemic (2018/2019: n = 19,299), at the beginning of the pandemic (2019/2020: n = 19,916) and during the pandemic (2020/2021: n = 19,698). Bivariate and multivariate binary regression analyses [OR, 95% CI] cross-sectionally examined the relationship between the prevalence of LD [yes/no] and social inequalities, operationalized by family socioeconomic position [SEP low/middle/high], migration background [native-German language/non-native German language] and length of kindergarten attendance [< 4 years/ ≥ 4 years]. Factors contributing to inequality in LD were examined by socioeconomic stratification.
Results
Cross-sectionally, LD prevalence has decreased overall (2018/2019: 21.1%, 2019/2020: 19.2%, 2020/2021: 18.8%), and among children from both high SEP and native German-speaking families. As LD prevalence increased among children from families with low SEP and remained stable among non-native German speakers, social inequalities in LD prevalence increased slightly during the pandemic i) by low SEP (2018/2019: OR = 4.41, 3.93–4.94; 2020/2021: OR = 5.12, 4.54–5.77) and ii) by non-German native language (2018/2019: OR = 2.22, 1.86–2.66; 2020/2021: OR = 2.54, 2.19–2.95). During the pandemic, both migration background and kindergarten attendance determined LD prevalence in the high and middle SEP strata. However, the measured factors did not contribute to LD prevalence in children from families with low SEP.
Conclusion
Social inequalities in LD increased due to opposing trends in prevalence comparing low and high SEP families. To promote health equity across the life course, early childhood should be of interest for tailored public health actions (e.g. through targeted interventions for kindergarten groups). Further analytical studies should investigate determinants (e.g., parental investment).
Background: In Germany, more than 4.65 million people are currently living with a cancer diagnosis. Patients can benefit from a healthy lifestyle both during and after therapy. In order to provide patients with practical and scientifically based information on health behavior, the authors developed “Aktiv leben mit Krebs” (ALMIK) using participatory program planning.
Methods: A non-blinded randomized controlled trial with intervention (IG) and wait list control group (WCG) was conducted at NCT/UCC Dresden and UCCSH in Kiel in 2022/2023 with a convenience sample of n=227 patients during and after therapy (65.7 years ± 11.7, 54.2% male). IG and WCG received a questionnaire at baseline and after 1 month. IG received the ALMIK brochure and a link to the website with videos. Changes in health literacy (HLS-EU Q) and acceptance were assessed.
Result: Acceptance of ALMIK in IG was high: 94.1% of all n=109 patients in the IG reported having used the brochure. 40.4% had visited the website. Videos were used by 36.7%. Almost all patients rated the brochure as understandable (97.8%), relevant (90.3%) and clearly presented (98.9%).
Patients also rated the website as well-structured (95.6%) and attractively designed (97.6%), and the videos as understandable (93.0%) and relevant (79.1%). Overall, 97.8% were satisfied with the program and 98.9% would recommend it to others. Patients of IG did not achieve higher HLS-score
in comparison to WCG (p=0.75).
Discussion: The brochure was used by many patients and was very well accepted. The website and videos were used less frequently, but overall by more than one-third of patients, who were also satisfied with them. Health literacy was not increased by ALMIK, which may be due to the low
intervention strength.
Conclusion: The high number of participants who used ALMIK indicates a high need for health behavior information for cancer patients. Patient involvement has proven to be an important component in creating well accepted program materials
Digitalisierung und Gesundheit: Ergebnisse einer zweiten bundesweiten Befragung in Deutschland
(2024)
Diese Studie untersuchte Einstellungen zu und Nutzung von digitalen Technologien im Gesundheitskontext anhand einer zweiten bundesweiten Befragung von Internetnutzenden in Deutschland. Unser Ziel war es zu ermitteln, ob und wie sich Einstellungen zu und Nutzung von digitalen Technologien im Gesundheitskontext zwei Jahre nach der ersten Befragung verändert haben.
Migrant*innen haben gesundheitliche Vor- und Nachteile gegenüber der nicht-migrierten Bevölkerung. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Migration und Gesundheit ist mehrdimensional, weitere – insbesondere soziale – Faktoren müssen bei der Interpretation beachtet werden. Erklärungsmodelle bilden die Komplexität des Zusammenhangs ab. Die zentralen Modelle haben eine Perspektive auf den gesamten Lebenslauf von migrierten Menschen (vor, während und nach der Migration). Sie helfen der kommunalen Gesundheitspolitik, geeignete Daten zu erheben und wirksame Interventionen zu entwickeln.
Research suggests that children of low-educated parents face greater health burdens during the passage from adolescence to young adulthood, as they are more likely to become low-educated themselves, establish behavioural and psychosocial disadvantages, or being exposed to unhealthy working conditions. However, studies examining the development and drivers of health inequalities during this particular life stage are limited in number and have produced varied results. This study investigates trajectories of self-rated health and overweight from 14 to 25 years of age, stratified by parental education, and explores the role of potential mediators (educational achievement, health behaviours, psychosocial factors, working conditions). We rely on prospective cohort data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), a representative sample of 14,981 German ninth graders interviewed yearly from 2011 to 2021 (n = 90,096 person-years). First, we estimated random-effects growth curves for self-rated health and overweight over participants’ age and calculated the average marginal effect of high versus low parental education. Second, a series of simulation-based mediation analyses were
performed to test how much of health inequalities were explained by children’s educational attainment (years of school education, years in university), health behaviours (smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity), psychosocial factors (number of grade repetitions, years in unemployment, chronic stress, self-esteem) and working conditions (physical and psychosocial job demands). We accounted for potential confounding by controlling for age, sex, migration background, residential area, household composition, and interview mode. Results show that higher parental education was related to higher self-rated health and lower probabilities of being overweight. Interaction between parental education and age indicated that, after some equalisation in late adolescence, health inequalities increased in young adulthood. Furthermore, educational attainment, health behaviours, psychosocial factors, and early-career working conditions played a significant role in mediating health inequalities. Of the variables examined, the level of school education and years spent in university were particular strong mediating factors. School education accounted for around one-third of the inequalities in self-rated health and one-fifth of the differences in overweight among individuals. Results support the idea that the transition to adulthood is a sensitive period in life and that early socio-economic adversity increases the likelihood to accumulate health disadvantages in multiple dimensions. In Germany, a country with comparatively low educational mobility, intergenerational continuities in class location seem to play a key role in the explanation of health inequalities in
youth.
Background: Besides macrolevel characteristics of a health care system, mesolevel access characteristics can exert influence on socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare use. These reflect access to healthcare, which is shaped on a smaller scale than the national level, by the institutions and establishments of a health system that individuals interact with on a regular basis. This scoping review maps the existing evidence about the influence of mesolevel access characteristics and socioeconomic position on healthcare use. Furthermore, it summarizes the evidence on the interaction between mesolevel access characteristics and socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare use.
Methods: We used the databases MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO and followed the 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR)' recommendations. The included quantitative studies used a measure of socioeconomic position, a mesolevel access characteristic, and a measure of individual healthcare utilisation. Studies published between 2000 and 2020 in high income countries were considered.
Results: Of the 9501 potentially eligible manuscripts, 158 studies were included after a two-stage screening process. The included studies contained a wide spectrum of outcomes and were thus summarised to the overarching categories: use of preventive services, use of curative services, and potentially avoidable service use. Exemplary outcomes were screening uptake, physician visits and avoidable hospitalisations. Access variables included healthcare system characteristics such as physician density or distance to physician. The effects of socioeconomic position on healthcare use as well as of mesolevel access characteristics were investigated by most studies. The results show that socioeconomic and access factors play a crucial role in healthcare use. However, the interaction between socioeconomic position and mesolevel access characteristics is addressed in only few studies.
Conclusions: Socioeconomic position and mesolevel access characteristics are important when examining variation in healthcare use. Additionally, studies provide initial evidence that moderation effects exist between the two factors, although research on this topic is sparse. Further research is needed to investigate whether adapting access characteristics at the mesolevel can reduce socioeconomic inequity in health care use.
Background: In Germany, various preventive services are offered to children and adolescents. These include regular standardized examinations (so called U/J examinations) and several vaccinations. Although strongly recommended, most of them are not mandatory. Our aim is to identify factors associated with the use of U/J examinations and vaccination against diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib, pertussis, polio, and tetanus. While previous research has focused on sociodemographic factors, we also include socioeconomic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors.
Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 15,023 participants (aged 0-17 years) of the nationwide representative KiGGS Wave 2 Survey. Participation in U/J examinations was assessed using a questionnaire, filled out by participants and/or their parents. Information on vaccination status was drawn from the participants' vaccination booklets. To identify relevant determinants for the use of preventive examinations and vaccinations, unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were employed with up to 16 different independent variables.
Results: Various independent variables showed an association with the use of preventive services. Higher socioeconomic status, absence of migration background, and lower household size were associated with significantly higher utilization of U examinations. Parents' marital status, area of residence, behavioral and psychosocial factors yielded insignificant results for most U/J examinations. Higher vaccination rates were found for children with no migration background, with residence in eastern Germany, lower household size, and with married parents.
Conclusion: This study attempted to depict the influence of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors on the use of several preventive services. Our results indicate that predominantly sociodemographic variables influence the use of preventive services. Further efforts should be made to investigate the interplay of different determinants of healthcare use in children and adolescents.
Hintergrund: Die Sozialepidemiologie in Deutschland konnte in den letzten Jahrzehnten in wichtigen Fragen zur internationalen Forschung aufschließen. Dennoch bestehen hierzulande im Vergleich zu vielen anderen Ländern weiterhin einige Datenlücken und „blinde Flecken“, z.B. hinsichtlich sozialer Unterschiede in der ursachenspezifischen Mortalität oder dem Zusammenspiel von individuellen und sozialräumlichen Einflüssen auf Gesundheit. Diese hängen u.a. mit fehlenden Verknüpfungsmöglichkeiten von Gesundheits- und Sozialdaten auf Individual- und Raumebene zusammen. Der German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (GISD) des Robert Koch-Instituts stellt ein Maß zur Verfügung, mit dem ein Beitrag zur Bearbeitung dieser Fragen geleistet werden kann.
Methoden: Anhand von Anwendungsbeispielen werden Analysepotentiale des GISD für die Sozialepidemiologie in Deutschland aufgezeigt. Dafür wird der GISD mit Daten 1) der amtlichen Statistik (z.B. Todesursachenstatistik), 2) der Schuleingangsuntersuchung sowie 3) der Studie Corona-Monitoring bundesweit (RKISOEP- 2) auf kleinräumiger Ebene verknüpft. Zur Anwendung kommen epidemiologische Methoden wie die Berechnung altersstandardisierter Raten und relativer Risiken, u.a. mittels (Mehrebenen-)Regressionsmodellen.
Ergebnisse: 1) Für nahezu alle häufigen Todesursachen zeigt der GISD regionale sozioökonomische Gradienten in der Mortalität. Bei Krebserkrankungen beispielsweise weisen Frauen und Männer, die in sozioökonomisch hoch deprivierten Kreisen leben, eine bis zu dreimal höhere Lungenkrebssterblichkeit auf als jene in wohlhabenden Kreisen. 2) Hinsichtlich des allgemeinen Entwicklungsstandes von Kindern bei der Schuleingangsuntersuchung werden bei Kindern aus höher deprivierten Gemeinden häufiger Entwicklungsverzögerungen festgestellt, selbst nach Kontrolle für den familiären sozioökonomischen Status. 3) Die niedrigste COVID-19-Impfquote zeigte sich unabhängig von der regionalen sozioökonomischen Deprivation bei Personen mit niedrigen Bildungsabschlüssen. Stratifiziert nach GISD-Quintilen wird ersichtlich sich, dass diese Bildungsunterschiede in der Impfquote mit steigender sozioökonomischer Deprivation der Wohnregion zunehmen.
Diskussion: Der GISD bietet für die sozialepidemiologische Forschung ein breites Analysepotenzial. Insbesondere bei der Analyse gesundheitlicher Ungleichheit kann er für verschiedene Gesundheitsoutcomes und Lebensphasen zur Erschließung bislang ungenutzter Routinedatenquellen (z.B. Todesursachenstatistik) sowie Ergänzung von Routine- und Primärdaten dienen, um „blinde Flecke“ der Sozialepidemiologie in Deutschland zu verringern.
Use and attitudes toward digital technologies in health context: A nationwide survey in Germany
(2023)
Introduction Digital technologies, such as health apps, can contribute to health promotion and disease prevention. This study investigated the use and attitudes toward digital technologies in health context using a nationwide survey.
Methods Adult internet users (n=1020) from 16 federal states in Germany participated in computer-assisted telephone interviews in November 2022. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analyses.
Results Overall, 61% of participants reported internet use in health context. Among the users, digital technologies were used to obtain general health information by 63% and to support physical activity or to obtain information on cancer by less than 50%. Over 90% of users rated such technologies as easy to use and useful to obtain health information, to support physical activity or to obtain information on cancer. However, confidence in using the internet for health decisions was low. Digital technology use in health context was associated with higher eHealth literacy. Digital technologies were preferred by younger participants to support physical activity and by older participants to obtain information on cancer.
Conclusion Although digital technologies are easy to use, the use of digital technologies for health promotion and disease prevention and confidence in using the internet for health decisions were low among internet users in this study. Factors that promote digital technology use for health promotion and prevention need to be investigated in further studies.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a growing public health issue in many low and middle-income countries (LMICs), making up about 90% of the global burden of GDM. Additionally, LMICs' healthcare systems are already overwhelmed by the prevalence of communicable diseases. It is crucial to understand the patterns of GDM in sub-Saharan African countries. Early detection, lifestyle and medication interventions, regular prenatal visits and effective postpartum management can help avert the future development of type 2 diabetes. GDM services present opportunities for preventive and treatment strategies for women with GDM. However, various factors contribute to challenges and obstacles in accessing GDM services, particularly suboptimal postpartum screening and follow-up. This study aims to investigate the societal and healthcare factors that facilitate or hinder access to and use of GDM services, as well as the factors that promote or obstruct the management and treatment of GDM, in Kenya, using a postcolonial theoretical approach.
Migration und Gesundheit
(2023)
Hintergrund und Stand der Forschung: Die Förderung einer selbstbestimmten Geburt wird in öffentlichen, fachlichen und politischen Diskursen zunehmend als ein Charakteristikum guter Geburtshilfe diskutiert. Der Grad der Selbstbestimmung hängt maßgeblich davon ab, inwieweit die Präferenzen (Wünsche, Vorstellungen) Gebärender verhandelt und umgesetzt werden (können). Bislang liegt jedoch keine aktuelle, empirisch informierte Theorie zum Umgang von Hebammen mit den Präferenzen Gebärender in Deutschland unter der Berücksichtigung verschiedener Geburtshilfe-Settings vor.
Fragestellung und Zielsetzung, Hypothese: Im Rahmen des qualitativen Forschungsprojekts „Wie erleben Hebammen in Deutschland die Selbstbestimmung Gebärender?“ (2021–2024) wurde die folgende Fragestellung aus der Perspektive der teilnehmenden Hebammen untersucht: „Wie gehen Hebammen in Deutschland mit den Präferenzen Gebärender um?“.
Methode: Es wurden 11 problemzentrierte Einzelinterviews mit Hebammen durchgeführt. Eingeschlossen wurden Hebammen mit laufender oder abgeschlossener Ausbildung, deren letzte begleitete Geburt max. 6 Monate zurücklag. Ziel des Samplings war eine größtmögliche Varianz in Bezug auf repräsentierte Settings (Kliniken, Geburtshäuser, Hausgeburten), geografische Regionen und individuelle Merkmale (u.a. Erfahrung, Alter) der Teilnehmenden. Die Interviews wurden aufgezeichnet, transkribiert, anonymisiert und mittels der Grounded Theory Methodologie nach Strauss/Corbin ausgewertet. Ein positives Ethik-Votum liegt vor.
Ergebnisse: Das Modell umfasst 7 Handlungsschritte:
1. Situationsdeutung; 2. Abwägen und Priorisieren relevanter Parameter; 3. Bestimmen des Möglichkeitsrahmens für die Gestaltung der Geburt; 4. Abgleich der Präferenz(en) mit dem Möglichkeitsrahmen; 5. Verhandeln der Präferenz(en); 6. Kontinuierliches Überwachen kontextueller/situativer Änderungen; 7. ggf. Anpassen/Neubestimmung des Möglichkeitsrahmens.
Die Handlungen stehen in wechselseitiger Beziehung zu kontextuellen Bedingungen (strukturell; interpersonell; persönlich-individuell; gesundheitliche Situation; Geburtsverlauf; Geburtsverständnis). Selbstbestimmung ist gemäß des Modells auch dann möglich, wenn vorherige Präferenzen unter der Geburt verworfen, geändert und/oder neu entwickelt werden.
Diskussion: Das empirisch informierte Modell beschreibt, wie Hebammen mit den Präferenzen Gebärender umgehen und dadurch Selbstbestimmung unter der Geburt beeinflussen. Es trifft keine Aussage darüber, inwieweit eine Geburt als „gut“ erlebt wird oder gelten kann. Im weiteren Verlauf der Studie wird untersucht, inwieweit die Beziehungsgestaltung sich auf die Handlungsschritte auswirkt. Das induktiv entwickelte Modell sollte im Zuge weiterer Forschung hinsichtlich seiner Generalisierbarkeit überprüft werden.
Implikation für die Forschung: Das Modell leistet einen Beitrag zum Verständnis dessen, wie Hebammen mit den Präferenzen Gebärender umgehen, welche Einflussfaktoren und Abwägungen dabei von Bedeutung sind und inwieweit Selbstbestimmung auch verworfene, geänderte oder neu entwickelte Präferenzen unter der Geburt einschließt.
Background
People of Turkish origin constitute one of the biggest migrant groups in Germany. They have an increased risk to develop stress-related health disadvantages, and this risk is also prevalent in the offspring generation from early ages on. We have conducted a multi-site prospective cohort study to examine the role of stress and stress biology in this intergenerational perpetuation of health disparities.
Methods
140 pregnant women (33 of Turkish origin) participated in a prospective cohort study with two study visits during pregnancy and one after birth (T1: 20-25 weeks of gestation, T2: 30-35 weeks of gestation, T3: four weeks after birth). At T1 and T2, women completed the Perceived Stress Scale and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and collected saliva samples after awakening, 30 minutes after awakening, and in the evening, and venous blood samples were collected for analysis of CRP and IL-6 concentrations.
Results
Multilevel models showed that Turkish-origin women exhibited higher levels of perceived stress and depressive symptoms, had increased inflammatory levels (Spallek et al., 2021), a blunted cortisol awakening response and flatter diurnal cortisol slope during pregnancy compared to non-migrant women after adjustment for socioeconomic factors.Some of the effects were mainly driven by 2nd generation migrants.
Conclusions
Increased levels of psychosocial stress and stress-related biological alterations among Turkish-origin pregnant women may contribute to the intergenerational transmission of health disadvantages in this group.
Health inequalities exist between people with and without a migration background in many societies. These inequalities seem to be perpetuated to the offspring generation born in the host country. This phenomenon is also observed among people of Turkish origin in Germany. Stress psychological and stress biological processes during pregnancy may play an important role in how maternal conditions may be transmitted to the child. We present here findings on the role of Turkish migration background for psychological stress experiences and stress biology during pregnancy. 140 pregnant women (81 non migrant German, 33 of Turkish origin, 26 of other origin) participated in a prospective cohort study that was carried out in Bielefeld and Berlin and that encompassed two study visits during pregnancy at first and second trimester pregnancy (Spallek et al., 2020). At both study visits, we derived concentrations of maternal inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6) and diurnal cortisol profiles, and participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD). Multilevel models showed that Turkish-origin women had increased inflammatory levels (Spallek et al., 2021), a blunted cortisol awakening response and flatter diurnal cortisol slope (Entringer et al., 2022), and they exhibited higher levels of perceived stress and depressive symptoms during pregnancy compared to non-migrant women after adjustment for socioeconomic factors. Women of Turkish origin show increased stress levels on the psychological and biological level during pregnancy.
The potential role of this elevated stress for the offspring’s health is subject to future analyses.
Migration and its influence on population health is a very dynamic but also normal and continuous phenomenon happening permanently in human history and most societies. Immigrants may have been exposed in ways that differ from those of the non-migrant population over their whole life course, including the period before migration, the migration process, and the period after migration. Epidemiological studies on the health experience of migrants have provided important insights into disease etiology but obviously also serve to identify exposure and risk differences between different population groups, and their determinants. This chapter presents an overview of the history and importance of studies among migrants and ethnic minorities. It provides insights into concepts, definitions, and terminology, as well as data sources that can be used for epidemiological research in this field. Key studies that shape the research field are presented. Detailed data both for the migrant populations of interest and for comparison populations are required for a comprehensive, theory-based assessment of the changing health of migrants. Modern, diversity-sensible epidemiological and health research needs to routinely endorse all fundamental quality requirements of epidemiological research and should strive for a system’s perspective to fully understand the interplay of influences and conditions shaping the health of migrant populations and population health in general.
Es gibt viele Gründe für Migration, von freier Entscheidung bis zu erzwungener Flucht. Entsprechend vielfältig sind auch die Vorgeschichten und Lebensumstände der migrierenden Menschen. Die damit einhergehenden unterschiedlichen Expositionen beeinflussen die Gesundheit der Migrant*innen und ihrer Kinder. Um ein solch komplexes Phänomen zu erfassen, ist ein Ansatz erforderlich, der die besonderen Umstände im Lebenslauf der Migrant*innen einbezieht. Ein etablierter methodischer Ansatz, der dies leisten kann, ist die Lebenslaufepidemiologie. Bei der Anwendung dieses Konzepts auf migrierende Bevölkerungen werden Expositionen vor, während und nach der Migration untersucht. In der epidemiologischen Forschung zur Gesundheit von eingewanderten Menschen ist es wünschenswert, alle diese 3 Phasen zu berücksichtigen. Eine Herausforderung hierbei ist, dass verlässliche Daten über den gesamten Lebenslauf nicht immer verfügbar sind. Eine valide, zeitnahe Erhebung und datenschutzgerechte Verknüpfung longitudinaler Daten aus verschiedenen Quellen können die lebenslaufbezogene Forschung zur Gesundheit von Migrant*innen in Deutschland verbessern. Perspektivisch sollten entsprechende Daten auch aus den Herkunftsländern von Migrant*innen einbezogen werden.
Einleitung Digitale Gesundheitstechnologien könnten einen bedeutenden Beitrag zur Sicherstellung einer hochwertigen und effizienten Gesundheitsversorgung insbesondere im ruralen, dünnbesiedelten Raum leisten. Diese Studie untersucht die Zusammenhänge zwischen Ruralität, digitaler Gesundheitskompetenz und Interesse an digitalen Gesundheitstechnologien.
Methoden Daten einer deutschlandweiten telefonischen Befragung Erwachsener zu Einstellung und Nutzung digitaler Gesundheitstechnologien wurden mit Ruralität (Einwohnerdichte/km²) verlinkt (n=941). Zusammenhänge zwischen digitaler Gesundheitskompetenz (eHEALS-Skala), Interesse an digitalen Gesundheitstechnologien (gering/hoch) und Ruralität wurden mit bi- und multivariaten Verfahren, adjustiert für Alter, Sozialstatus und Geschlecht analysiert.
Ergebnisse Digitale Gesundheitskompetenz und Interesse an digitalen Gesundheitstechnologien sind im ländlichen Raum schwächer ausgeprägt als im urbanen Raum (t (877) =-3.13, p=.002, d =-.254; Chi² (1, N=936) =6.04, p=.014). Geringere Einwohnerdichte ist mit einer niedrigeren Gesundheitskompetenz (β=.07; p=.043) und mit weniger Interesse an digitalen Gesundheitstechnologien assoziiert (OR=1.21; 95%KI 1.084-1.352).
Schlussfolgerung Bewohnende des ländlichen Raums unterscheiden sich hinsichtlich ihrer digitalen Gesundheitskompetenz und ihres Interesses an digitalen Gesundheitstechnologien von urbanen Regionen. Räumliche Faktoren sollten als mögliche Zugangsbarrieren bei der Implementierung digitaler Gesundheitstechnologien berücksichtigt werden.
Die psychische Gesundheit junger Menschen hängt mit ihrer psychosozialen Entwicklung (z. B. Sprache) zusammen, für die Unterschiede anhand sozioökonomischer Bedingungen der Familie beschrieben werden. Die Deprivation der Wohnregion ist additiver Risikofaktor für die kindliche Entwicklung (ORweibl. = 1,35[1,13–1,62]; ORmännl. = 1,20[1,05–1,39]). Beide sind von besonderem Interesse für Public Mental Health und Förderung der Gesundheit von Kindern in der frühen Kindheit und im Lebensverlauf.
Die positive Wirkung eines gesunden Lebensstils auf die ganz-
heitliche Verfassung und Lebensqualität für Krebspatient*innen
(Cancer Survivors) ist wissenschaftlich belegt. Gemäß den Na-
tional Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines for
Survivorship ist Unterstützung in diesem Bereich ausdrücklich
gefordert. Bei hohem Unterstützungsbedarf für die Entwick-
lung und Umsetzung eines gesunden Lebensstils gibt es jedoch,
vor allem in ländlichen Regionen, einen Mangel an spezialisier-
ten Angeboten für Krebspatient*innen. Nach Erfassung der
Bedürfnisse war es unser Ziel, eine leicht zugängliche, multi-
mediale Patienteninformation auf der Basis des sozial-kogniti-
ven Prozessmodells des Gesundheitsverhaltens (Health Action
Process Approach – HAPA), zu konzipieren. Die Anhebung der
Gesundheitskompetenz steht u. a. als Basis für informierte Ent-
scheidungen, und ist damit eine wichtige Ressource für die
Krebsnachsorge. Weiterführende Erhebungen zur Akzeptanz,
Nutzung und Auswirkung der Patienteninformation hinsichtlich
einer angestrebten, längerfristigen Änderung des Gesundheits-
verhaltens sind empfohlen.
In diesem Beitrag wird facettenartig eine Brücke zwischen Zuwanderung und Gesundheit(-sversorgung) unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der globalen Ziele zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung geschlagen. Um Migrationserfahrungen als (potenziellen) Einflussfaktor auf gesundheitliche Chancengleichheit zu verstehen, wird die politisch-rechtliche Situation von Menschen mit Einwanderungsgeschichte im Zugang zur Gesundheitsversorgung und zu Präventions- und Gesundheitsförderungsmaßnahmen beschrieben. Dabei zeigt sich, dass sich die gesundheitliche Versorgungssituation durch soziale, politische, institutionelle und strukturelle Ungleichheiten und Benachteiligungen auszeichnet, die weder in den globalen Zielen zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung noch in der deutschen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie angemessene Berücksichtigung finden.
Background: Overweight in childhood is considered to be one of the most serious public health challenges. Many studies have investigated individual-level determinants of children's body mass index (BMI), yet studies exploring determinants at the meso-level are sparse. The aim of our study was to examine how a sports focus at early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers moderates the effect of parental socio-economic position (SEP) on children's BMI.
Methods: We used data from the German National Educational Panel Study and included 1,891 children (955 boys and 936 girls) from 224 ECEC centers in our analysis. Linear multilevel regressions were used to estimate the main effects of family SEP and the ECEC center sports focus, as well as their interaction, on children's BMI. All analyses were stratified by sex and adjusted for age, migration background, number of siblings, and employment status of parents.
Results: Our analysis confirmed the wellknown health inequalities in childhood overweight with a social gradient toward a higher BMI for children from lower SEP families. An interactive effect between family SEP and ECEC center sports focus was found. Boys with low family SEP not attending a sports-focused ECEC center had the highest BMI among all boys. In contrast, boys with low family SEP attending a sports-focused ECEC center had the lowest BMI. For girls, no association regarding ECEC center focus or interactive effects emerged. Girls with a high SEP had the lowest BMI, independent of the ECEC center focus.
Conclusion: We provided evidence for the gender-specific relevance of sports-focused ECEC centers for the prevention of overweight. Especially boys from low SEP families benefited from a sports focus, whereas for girls the family's SEP was more relevant. As a consequence, gender differences in determinants for BMI at different levels and their interaction should be considered in further research and preventive measures. Our research indicates that ECEC centers may decrease health inequalities by providing opportunities for physical activity.
Background
Midwifery care is increasingly discussed in terms of its ability to promote a self-determined childbirth. The degree of self-determination (SD) depends on the extent to which women's preferences are negotiated and implemented. From the perspective of midwives in different obstetric settings in Germany, this study answered the research question: “How do midwives deal with women's preferences during birth?”.
Methods
11 semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with active midwives. The sample showed a high variance in terms of obstetric settings (clinics, birth centers, home births), regions, and participants’ characteristics (e. g. experience, age). All interviews were recorded, transcribed, anonymized, and analyzed using the Grounded Theory Methodology (Strauss/Corbin, 1994).
Results
A model consisting of 7 steps was developed: 1) Interpret the situation; 2) Prioritize relevant parameters; 3) Determine a frame of possibilities; 4) Match the preference(s) to the frame of possibilities; 5) Negotiate preference(s); 6) Continuously monitor contextual/situational changes; 7) Adjust the frame of possibilities. The actions are related to contextual conditions (structural; interpersonal; personal; health situation; course of birth; understanding of birth). The model shows how midwives can promote SD even if prior preferences are discarded or modified at birth.
Conclusions
The model describes how midwives in Germany deal with women's preferences during birth, which factors they consider decisive in doing so, and how SD may be promoted despite of discarded or modified preferences. Further research should examine the role of relationship building, test the model with regard to its generalizability, and use it to analyze and support person-centered midwifery care.
Key messages
• The model describes how midwives in different obstetric settings in Germany deal with women’s preferences during birth and, thereby, influence self-determination.
• Midwives can promote self-determination also if prior preferences are discarded, modified, or redeveloped at birth.
Digital technology use for physical activity promotion: Results of a nationwide survey in Germany
(2023)
Background. Digital technologies can contribute to healthy behaviour. We aimed to investigate a digital technology use for physical activity (PA) promotion using a nationwide survey. Methods. Our cross-sectional survey was conducted using a panel sample of 1020 adult internet users living in Germany (age: 18-92 years, 47% female). Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted using a self-developed questionnaire in November 2022. Survey data were analysed using relative frequencies and bivariate logistic regression. Findings. Among all participants, 626/1020 reported internet use in health context and 278/626 (44%) reported digital technology use for PA promotion. Most of the 278 users for PA promotion reported that such technologies are easy to use (92%) and use them at least once a week (91%). The reasons for using digital technologies were to measure own PA (74%) or to find exercise ideas (57%). Most participants reported using mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, 77%, or activity trackers, 58%) and rated device feedback as helpful (69%). Among sociodemographic factors (age, gender, education, household income), health status and eHealth literacy, younger age was the only significant predictor (OR=.98, 95% CI: .97-.99) of digital technology use for PA promotion. Discussion. Despite their availability, the prevalence of digital technology use for PA promotion is still low among adult internet users in Germany. Such technologies are likely to support PA behaviour change because users rate them as easy to use, their feedback as helpful and use them frequently. Health interventions are necessary to encourage digital technology use for PA promotion among adults in Germany.
Background Digitalization has led to a proliferation of digital health technologies and online health information. We aimed to assess the attitudes towards digital technology use in health context using a nationwide survey. Methods A cross-sectional nationwide survey of a panel sample of adult internet users living in Germany was conducted in November 2022. Participants completed computer-assisted telephone interviews using a self-developed, 30-item questionnaire. Survey data were analysed using frequencies and univariate multiple regression analysis. Findings Among 1,020 participants (18-92 years, 56±16 years, 47% female), 62% completed up to tertiary education and 42% reported the household income of up to 3500 Euro/month. The minority of participants reported that they trust health websites when recommended by friends and family (39%), that their social network relies on the internet for health information (35%), that they consider the internet as the immediate source of health information (39%) and that they are interested in digital health technologies (40%). Most participants (71%) reported that they prefer to receive health information in person or on paper. The preference for such sources of health information was associated with lower eHealth literacy (β= -.12, p<.001), worse health status (β= -.08, p=.026) and female gender (β= -.08, p=.033). Discussion The trust in the internet as the source of health information and the interest in digital health technologies were low among internet users in Germany. Interventions should strengthen eHealth literacy to empower adults to find, understand and assess reliable health information on the Internet.
Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect depressive symptoms? Longitudinal analysis of health worker data
(2023)
Background
Health workers play a vital role in response to outbreaks under pandemic circumstances, but are also highly vulnerable to stress-related mental health issues (e.g., due to pandemic workload). There are knowledge gaps regarding temporal development of the emergence of depressive symptoms among health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and their determinants. This study examined the trajectory of depressive symptoms and their association with a) stress perception, b) own COVID-19 infection and c) COVID-19 exposure at work.
Methods
This cohort study with 91 health workers (90% female, x⎯⎯=45
years) from a German general hospital included (1) medical, nursing and therapeutic staff and (2) administrative staff. Data were collected longitudinally every month from July to December 2020. Linear multilevel models were used to evaluate associations between trajectories of depression scores (German ‘General Depression Scale’) with perceived stress (‘Perceived Stress Scale’). Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection was tested as a moderator of depressive symptom development. Trajectoires of depressive symptom modalities (e.g., somatic, emotional) were analysed stratified by COVID-19 exposure at work.
Results
Depression scores increased across the study period (b=.03, .02-.05). Perceived stress was associated with depression scores (b=.12, .10-.14). The presence of health workers’ own COVID-19 infection was associated with a higher increase (b=.06, .01-.10). Somatic symptoms of depression increased over time only among health workers directly exposed to COVID-19 patients at work (b=.25, .13-.38).
Conclusions
The increase in depressive symptomatology among health workers exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace points to the need for further research. Since the infection with COVID-19 is associated with an increase of depressive symptoms across time, awareness should be raised about measures to protect against virus transmission, especially during a pandemic.
Exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace is associated with increased somatic depressive symptoms.
Ziel der Studie Untersuchung der Assoziation von Sorge vor eigener Infektion oder der Infektion von Freunden, Familie und Pflegebedürftigen mit Covid-19 und Burnout-Symptomen von Pflegekräften in Brandenburger vollstationären Altenpflegeeinrichtungen.
Methodik Querschnittliche Befragung von Pflegekräften (n=195) in Brandenburger Pflegeheimen zwischen August und Dezember 2020 hinsichtlich ihrer psychosozialen Belastung am Arbeitsplatz.
Ergebnisse Das Vorliegen der Sorge, sich selbst, Familie und/oder Freunde oder Pflegebedürftige mit Covid-19 infiziert zu haben, ist mit einer erhöhten Ausprägung von Burnout-Symptomen assoziiert (b=0,200, t(155)=2,777, p=0,006).
Schlussfolgerung Ein erhöhtes Erleben von Burnout-Symptomen durch die Sorge eines Infektionsrisikos mit Covid-19 am Arbeitsplatz spricht für den Bedarf umfassender Unterstützungsmaßnahmen sowie nachhaltiger Konzepte zum Umgang mit psychosozialer Belastung für Pflegekräfte in der Altenpflege.
Background:
Healthcare workers (HCW) are at high risk to develop mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic because of additional work load, perceived stress, and exposure to patients with COVID-19. Currently, there are few studies on change over time in the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pandemic start among HCW. Thus, the aims of the current study were to examine whether depressive symptoms increased during the pandemic and were associated with perceived stress and own COVID-19 infection and workplace exposure to virus-infected patients.
Methods:
The cohort study used longitudinal data from HCW collected monthly (July 2020 till December 2020) during the first year of the pandemic before vaccination became available. The sample of n = 166 was drawn from a German hospital and included medical (e.g. nurses, therapists, and physicians) and administrative staff. Using multilevel models, we analyzed the change in depressive symptoms [assessed with General Depression Scale (GDS), a validated German version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)] and its association with perceived stress across the study period. Laboratory-confirmed own infection was tested as a potential moderator in this context. Subscales of the GDS were used to examine change over time of depressive symptom modalities (e.g. emotional, somatic, and social interactions (β, 95% confidence interval).
Results:
Depression scores increased significantly during the study period (β = .03, 95% CI [0.02, 0.05]). Perceived stress was associated with depressive symptoms (β = .12, 95% CI [0.10, 0.14]) but did not change over time. Exposure to COVID-19 infection was associated with a higher increase of depressive symptoms (β = .12, 95% CI [0.10, .14]). Somatic symptoms of depression increased among medical HCW with workplace exposure to COVID-19 (β = .25, 95% CI [0.13, 0.38]), but not in administrators (β = .03, 95% CI [−0.04, 0.11]).
Conclusion:
Research is needed to identify factors that promote the reduction of depressive symptoms in medical HCW with exposition to COVID-19 patients. Awareness of infection protection measures should be increased.
Introduction: Despite the growing numbers of physicians in outpatient care, continuing discussion about the planning of physician requirements suggests remaining problems in this field, which could be due to focussing on the ratio of physician to population rather than on morbidity-based evaluations. Against this background, this paper tries to depict the latent need in outpatient care, illustrates supply and demand and further tests the hypothesis that there is a relative inequality in distribution due to physicians preferring to locate in socially privileged areas in the German state of Brandenburg.
Methods: We aggregated all data available on a small scale with potential impact on demand and examined it via principal component analysis. The generated factor was mapped together with the locations of general practitioners and specialists in general care. Using linear regressions, the number of practitioners was compared to the local index value to determine regional inequalities.
Results: The PCA suggested a one factor solution; that factor was designated Social Structure Index due to its values. The mapping showed a tendency of higher index values towards the central areas of Brandenburg surrounding Berlin. Regressions of the number of practitioners against the index values revealed no significant differences between communities with high and low index values.
Conclusion: The extension of factors concluding the evaluation of physician demand in outpatient care confirms the problems of physician supply in rural areas, where sparse populations meet social disadvantages and poor accessibility. An underlying inequality in distribution in terms of physicians preferring socially privileged areas could not be detected.
Einleitung Bisher liegen in Deutschland wenig empirische Ergebnisse zu den Auswirkungen der COVID-19 Pandemie auf die seelische Gesundheit von Beschäftigten im Gesundheitswesen vor. In dieser Studie wird die zeitliche Entwicklung depressiver Symptome und der Zusammenhang mit a) der Stresswahrnehmung, b) der eigenen COVID-19-Infektion und c) der arbeitsplatzbezogenen COVID-19-Exposition untersucht.
Methoden Die Kohortenstudie mit 91 Beschäftigten (90% wbl, x̅=45 Jr) eines Krankenhauses schloss (1) medizinisches, pflegerisches und therapeutisches sowie (2) administratives Personal im Zeitraum von Juli 2020 bis Dezember 2020 ein. Gemischte Modelle analysierten zeitliche Depressionswerte ('Allg. Depressionsskala‘) mit wahrgenommenem Stress ('Perceived Stress Scale'). Eine eigene COVID-19-Infektion (Laborbefund) wurde als Moderator getestet. Die zeitliche Entwicklung von Symptommodalitäten (u.a. somatisch) wurde nach beruflicher Exposition analysiert.
Ergebnisse Die Depressionswerte stiegen insgesamt während des Studienzeitraums an (b=.03, .02-.05). Stressempfinden war mit depressiven Symptomen assoziiert (b=.12, .10-.14). Eine eigene Infektion war mit einem höheren Anstieg assoziiert (b=.06, .01-.10). Somatische Depressionssymptome nahmen nur bei beruflichem Kontakt mit COVID-19 zu (b=.25, .13-.38).
Schlussfolgerung Die Zunahme somatischer depressiver Symptome bei Beschäftigten mit beruflichem Kontakt zu COVID-19 zeigt einen Bedarf an Forschung über und Ressourcen für Gesundheitsschutz und -förderung. Das Bewusstsein für Schutzmaßnahmen sollte gestärkt werden.
Introduction: In industrialised countries, one in ten patients suffers harm during hospitalization. Critical Incident Reporting Systems (CIRS) aim to minimize this by learning from errors and identifying potential risks. However, a lack of interoperability among the 16 CIRS in Germany hampers their effectiveness.
Methods: This study investigates reports' syntactic and semantic interoperability across seven different reporting systems. Syntactic interoperability was examined using WHO's Minimal Information Models (MIM), while semantic interoperability was evaluated with SNOMED concepts.
Results: The findings reveal a low structural overlap, with only two terms correctly represented in the SNOMED CT terminology. In addition, most systems showed no syntactic interoperability.
Conclusion: Improving interoperability is essential for increasing the effectiveness and usability of CIRS. The study suggests a unified data model such as MIM or using Health Level 7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (HL7 FHIR) resources and expanding SNOMED CT with patient safety-relevant terms for semantic interoperability. Given the current lack of both syntactic and semantic interoperability in CIRS, developing a patient safety ontology is recommended for efficient critical incident analysis too.
Children’s overweight is strongly associated with family socioeconomic position (SEP) and family characteristics (FC). There is limited research on the extent to which FC account for a socioeconomic gradient in childhood overweight. This study examined whether FC explain SEP differences in the prevalence of overweight. The study used baseline data of preschool-aged children from the German ‘PReschool INtervention Study’. The sample (n = 872, 48% girls) was recruited at kindergartens in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Data included children’s measured weight status and parents’ reports on socioeconomic indicators (e.g., school education, vocational education, income) and FC. Variables represent main determinants of overweight (nutrition: sweets consumption in front of TV, soft drink consumption, regular breakfast, child sets table; physical activity: outdoor sports; parental role model). In single mediation analyses indirect effects of SEP on overweight were analysed (OR[95%CI]). Preschool girls and boys with low parental education had higher odds for overweight than children with high parental education. Among boys, low levels of parental education contributed to the odds of overweight via indirect effects by both factors ‘sweets consumption in front of TV’ (OR = 1.31[1.05–1.59]) and ‘no sports’ (OR = 1.14[1.01–1.38]). Among girls, FC measured did not explain SEP differences in overweight. Family nutrition and parental/family physical activity contribute to inequalities in overweight among preschool boys, but not girls. Research is needed to identify FC that explain inequalities in overweight for both.
Objective
Few studies have investigated health inequalities among young workers. The objectives of this study are to assess the extent of health inequalities in a sample of job starters and to explore the contribution of job demands and organisational factors.
Methods
We analyze data from the BIBB/BAuA Youth Employment Survey 2012. The cross-sectional survey includes a representative sample of 3214 German employees, apprentices, and trainees aged 15–24 years. Individuals were grouped by their years of schooling into low (< 12 years) and high levels of education (≥ 12 years). Regression analysis estimated the link between education and four health outcomes: self-rated health, number of health events, musculoskeletal symptoms, and mental health problems over the last 12 months. Counterfactual mediation analysis tested for indirect effects of education via working conditions (i.e., physical and psychosocial job demands) and company characteristics (i.e., company size, health prevention measures, financial situation, downsizing). All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, nationality, region, working hours, job tenure, employment relationship, and economic sector.
Results
Highly educated workers reported better self-rated health (b = 0.24, 95% CI 0.18–0.31) and lower numbers of health events (Rate Ratio (RR) = 0.74, 95% CI 0.67–0.82), musculoskeletal symptoms (RR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.66–0.80) and mental health problems (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.76–0.93). Total job demands explained between 21.6% and 87.2% of the educational differences (depending on health outcome). Unfavourable company characteristics were associated with worse health, but showed no or only small mediation effects.
Conclusions
Health inequalities are already present at the early working career due to socio-economically stratified working hazards. To enhance prevention measures that aim at reducing inequalities in workplace health, we propose shifting attention towards earlier stages of life.
Health inequalities start early in life. The time of young adulthood, between late teens and early twenties, is especially interesting in this regard. This time of emerging adulthood, the transition from being a child to becoming an adult, is characterised by the detachment from parents and establishing of an own independent life. From a health inequality perspective, the question about the importance of the socio-economic background of parents is important. University students are an especially interesting group. Many students come from a privileged background and the question of health inequality among university students has not yet been properly studied. Based on the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), we analysed health inequalities among 9,000 students in Germany (Ø 20 years in the first year of their studies) over a period of eight years. We found that university students in Germany report a good and very good health. Yet, we still found substantial health inequalities. Students whose parents had a higher occupational status also reported less health problems. We were also able to tie health inequality on health behaviour, psychosocial resources, and material conditions.
Ziel der Studie Im bundesweiten Vergleich weist Brandenburg eine der höchsten Morbiditäts- und Mortalitätsraten ischämischer Herzerkrankungen auf. Die Erreichbarkeit der medizinischen Versorgungsinfrastruktur gilt dabei als eine Erklärungsmöglichkeit für regionale gesundheitliche Ungleichheit. Demnach verfolgt die Studie das Ziel, die Distanzen zu verschiedenen Versorgungsarten der kardiologischen Versorgung auf Gemeindeebene zu berechnen und diese im Zusammenhang mit dem lokalen Versorgungsbedarf zu betrachten.
Methodik Präventive Sportangebote, Hausärzte, kardiologische Praxen, Krankenhäuser mit Herzkatheterlabor und Einrichtungen ambulanter Rehabilitation wurden als wesentliche Einrichtungen für die kardiologische Versorgung herangezogen und kartiert. Daraufhin wurden die Distanzen über das Straßenverkehrsnetz vom Mittelpunkt jeder Brandenburger Gemeinde zum nächsten Standort der jeweiligen Versorgungseinrichtung berechnet und in Quintile eingeteilt. Mediane und Interquartilsabstände des deutschen sozioökonomischen Deprivationsindex und des Anteils der Bevölkerung über 65 Jahre wurden als Proxys für den Versorgungsbedarf herangezogen und mit den Distanzquintilen je Versorgungsart in Zusammenhang gesetzt.
Ergebnisse Für 60% der Brandenburger Gemeinden sind Hausärzte innerhalb von 2,5 km, präventive Sportangebote innerhalb von 19,6 km, kardiologische Praxen innerhalb von 18,3 km, Krankenhäuser mit Herzkatheterlabor innerhalb von 22,7 km und Einrichtungen ambulanter Rehabilitation innerhalb von 14,7 km erreichbar. Der Median des deutschen Deprivationsindexes steigt bei allen Versorgungsarten mit zunehmender Distanz an. Der Median des Anteils über 65-Jähriger zeigt keine nennenswerte Variation zwischen den Distanzquintilen.
Schlussfolgerung Die Ergebnisse zeigen für hohe Bevölkerungsanteile teilweise große Distanzen zu spezialisierten kardiologischen Versorgungsangeboten, während hausärztliche Praxen für einen hohen Anteil erreichbar scheinen. In Brandenburg scheint eine regionale und an lokalen Bedarfen orientierte sektorenübergreifende Versorgung notwendig.
Migrants and their offspring, referred to as people with a migration background in this article, are an utmost heterogeneous group whose health situation can be better, similar or worse compared to the health of the population without a migration background. A better understanding of the health of people with a migration background requires the consideration of their individual life course as well as several additional explanatory factors. The latter include, for instance, their social position, age, and gender, as well as the policies, health care system, social climate, living situation, and length of stay in the destination country. Particularly promising public health strategies for migrant health include a combination of migration sensitive and migration specific offers, setting approaches, and inclusionary public health approaches that critically reflect on mechanisms of othering, marginalization, and exclusion.
Background
From birth to young adulthood, health and development of young people are strongly linked to their living situation, including their family’s socioeconomic position (SEP) and living environment. The impact of regional characteristics on development in early childhood beyond family SEP has been rarely investigated. This study aimed to identify regional predictors of global developmental delay at school entry taking family SEP into consideration.
Method
We used representative, population-based data from mandatory school entry examinations of the German federal state of Brandenburg in 2018/2019 with n=22,801 preschool children. By applying binary multilevel models, we hierarchically analyzed the effect of regional deprivation defined by the German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (GISD) and rurality operationalized as inverted population density of the children’s school district on global developmental delay (GDD) while adjusting for family SEP (low, medium and high).
Results
Family SEP was significantly and strongly linked to GDD. Children with the highest family SEP showed a lower odds for GDD compared to a medium SEP (female: OR=4.26, male: OR=3.46) and low SEP (female: OR=16.58, male: OR=12.79). Furthermore, we discovered a smaller, but additional and independent effect of regional socioeconomic deprivation on GDD, with a higher odds for children from a more deprived school district (female: OR=1.35, male: OR=1.20). However, rurality did not show a significant link to GDD in preschool children beyond family SEP and regional deprivation.
Conclusion
Family SEP and regional deprivation are risk factors for child development and of particular interest to promote health of children in early childhood and over the life course.
Background:
Clinical practice guidelines recommend specialist referral according to different criteria. The aim was to assess recommended and observed referral rate and health care expenditure according to recommendations from:
• Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO,2012)
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE,2014)
• German Society of Nephrology/German Society of Internal Medicine (DGfN/DGIM,2015)
• German College of General Practitioners and Family Physicians (DEGAM,2019)
• Kidney failure risk equation (NICE,2021)
Methods:
Data of the population-based cohort Study of Health in Pomerania were matched with claims data. Proportion of subjects meeting referral criteria and corresponding health care expenditures were calculated and projected to the population of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Results:
Data from 1927 subjects were analysed. Overall proportion of subjects meeting referral criteria ranged from 4.9% (DEGAM) to 8.3% (DGfN/DGIM). The majority of patients eligible for referral were ≥ 60 years. In subjects older than 60 years, differences were even more pronounced, and rates ranged from 9.7% (DEGAM) to 16.5% (DGfN/DGIM). Estimated population level costs varied between €1,432,440 (DEGAM) and €2,386,186 (DGfN/DGIM). From 190 patients with eGFR < 60 ml/min, 15 had a risk of end stage renal disease > 5% within the next 5 years.
Conclusions:
Applying different referral criteria results in different referral rates and costs. Referral rates exceed actually observed consultation rates. Criteria need to be evaluated in terms of available workforce, resources and regarding over- and underutilization of nephrology services.
Background
Evaluation of the current physical therapy practice for German stroke rehabilitation with respect to the ‘Rehabilitation of Mobility after Stroke (ReMoS)’ guideline recommendations and the associated implementation factors.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study employing an online survey was performed among German physical therapists in 2019. The survey consisted of three sections with open and closed questions: 1) self-reported use of ReMoS recommendations, 2) barriers of guideline use and 3) socio-demographic characteristics. The benchmark level for guideline adherent physical therapy was set at > 80%.
Results
Data from 170 questionnaires were eligible for analysis. Participants’ mean age was 41.6 years, 69.4% were female, while 60.1% had no academic degree. The ReMoS guideline was unknown to 52.9% of the responders. Out of all the 46 ReMoS guideline recommendations, only ‘intensive walking training without a treadmill’ was reported to be performed in a guideline adherent manner. Respondents usually denied any personal limitations, such as limited knowledge, or that the ReMoS guideline did not fit their routine practice.
Conclusions
Among German physical therapists, the ReMoS guideline is not well-known and many interventions are not performed as recommended, illustrating the discrepancies between the ReMoS guideline recommendations and current physical therapy practice. Interventions aimed at overcoming this gap should consider both knowledge of existing barriers and facilitators of guideline usage.
Objective: Evidence-based guidelines are important for informing clinical decision-making and improving patient outcomes. There is inconsistent usage of guidelines among physical therapists involved in stroke rehabilitation, suggesting the existence of a gap between theory and practice. Addressing the German guideline “evidence-based rehabilitation of mobility after stroke (ReMoS),” the aims of this project are (1) to describe the current physical therapy practice within the context of stroke rehabilitation in Germany, (2) to evaluate barriers and facilitators of guideline usage, (3) to develop, and (4) to pilot test a theory-based, tailored implementation intervention for the benefit of guideline recommendations.
Materials and Methods: This study uses a stepwise mixed methods approach for implementing a local guideline. A self-reported online questionnaire will be used to survey the current physical therapy practice in stroke rehabilitation. The same survey and systematic-mixed methods review will be used to evaluate the barriers and facilitators of guideline usage quantitatively. Semi-structured interviews will add a qualitative perspective on factors that influence ReMoS guideline implementation. The Behavior Change Wheel and Theoretical Domains Framework will be used to support the development of a tailored implementation intervention which will be pilot tested in a controlled study. Patient and physical therapy-related outcomes, as well as the appropriateness, such as acceptance and feasibility of the tailored implementation intervention, will be analyzed.
Conclusion: This will be the first endeavor to implement a guideline in German stroke rehabilitation with a focus on changing care provider behavior based on the knowledge of current practice and determining factors using a tailored and theory-based intervention.
Angesichts der immer stärker werdenden Diskussion um die Bedeutung von Gesundheit für den schulischen und außerschulischen Bildungs- und Lernprozess und der Risiken wachsender gesundheitlicher Ungleichheit bei Kindern und Jugendlichen (Hurrelmann/Richter 2013, Lampert et al. 2019) ist die Etablierung eines Studienganges „Gesundheitspädagogik und Gesundheitsdidaktik“ längst überfällig und von besonderer Bedeutung für gesundheitliche Chancengleichheit (Goldfriedrich & Hurrelmann, 2021a; 2021b).
Dieses Konzeptpapier stellt einen Modellstudiengang vor, bei dem insbesondere die Vermittlungsebenen – also die gesundheitsdidaktischen Gegenstandsbereiche – im Vordergrund stehen. Die Ausarbeitungen des Entwurfs basieren auf der Grundlage politischer Bestrebungen, der bisherigen Forschung zur Gesundheitspädagogik und Gesundheitsdidaktik, den Erkenntnissen der Erziehungs- und Gesundheitswissenschaften sowie wissenschaftlichen und interprofessionellen Beiträgen des Netzwerks Gesundheitsdidaktik (bestehend aus 33 Expert*innen aus 24 Fachbereichen).
Einleitung
Die gesundheitliche Entwicklung von Kindern wird neben der sozioökonomischen Position (SEP) der Familie auch von Merkmalen der Lebensumgebung geprägt. Ruralität oder regionale sozioökonomische Deprivation werden als mögliche unabhängige Einflussgrößen postuliert, ohne dass bisher ausreichende empirische Ergebnisse vorliegen. In dieser Studie wurde untersucht, ob regionale sozioökonomische Deprivation und Ruralität unabhängig von familiärer SEP mit der Entwicklung von Kindern assoziiert sind.
Methoden
Daten des Sozialpädiatrischen Entwicklungsscreenings im Rahmen der Einschulungsuntersuchungen aus dem Jahr 2018/2019 in Brandenburg (n=22.801 Kinder) wurden verknüpft mit Daten zur regionalen Bevölkerungsdichte (Ruralität) sowie mit dem German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (regionale Deprivation). Mittels gemischter Modelle wurde der Zusammenhang einer Allgemeinen Entwicklungsverzögerung (AEV) mit Ruralität und mit regionaler Deprivation analysiert (OR=Odds Ratio (95% Konfidenzintervall)), wobei für familiäre SEP (hoch, mittel, niedrig) adjustiert und nach Geschlecht (M=Mädchen, J=Jungen) stratifiziert wurde.
Ergebnisse
Kinder mit hoher familiärer SEP zeigten geringere Chancen einer AEV als Kinder mit mittlerer familiärer SEP (ORM=4,26(3,14-5,79); ORJ=3,46(2,83-4,22)) und niedriger familiärer SEP (ORM=16,58(11,90-23,09); ORJ=12,79(10,13-16,16)). Größere regionale Deprivation war unabhängig von familiärer SEP und Ruralität mit AEV assoziiert (ORM=1,35(1,13-1,62); ORJ=1,20(1,05-1,39)). Neben familiärer SEP und regionaler Deprivation zeigte Ruralität keine Assoziation mit AEV.
Schlussfolgerung
Neben der familiären SEP wirkt sich die regionale sozioökonomische Deprivation auf Entwicklungsverzögerungen von Kindern aus. Sozialepidemiologie und Public Health sollten daher neben den individuellen sozioökonomischen Voraussetzungen auch die regionalen sozioökonomischen Bedingungen als Determinante der gesundheitlichen Entwicklung über den Lebenslauf berücksichtigen.
Hintergrund und Stand (inter)nationaler Forschung: Die Forderung nach einer selbstbestimmten Geburt ist in Deutschland und weltweit in den fachlichen und öffentlichen Fokus gerückt. Allerdings liegen bisher wenige Forschungsergebnisse zur Selbstbestimmung Gebärender und ihrer förderlichen und begrenzenden Bedingungen vor. Diese Erkenntnisse sind jedoch essentiell, um Selbstbestimmung gezielt unterstützen und ihre Verletzung vermeiden zu können.
Fragestellung und Zielsetzung: Die Studie untersucht und vergleicht die Erfahrungen und Perspektiven von Hebammen in Bezug auf förderliche und begrenzende Faktoren einer selbstbestimmten Geburt in Krankenhäusern, Geburtshäusern und bei Hausgeburten in Deutschland.
Methode: Es wurde eine qualitative Fallstudie auf der Basis von zehn problemzentrierten Einzelinterviews mit Hebammen durchgeführt. Eingeschlossen wurden Hebammen mit laufender oder abgeschlossener Ausbildung, deren letzte begleitete Geburt nicht länger als sechs Monate zurücklag. Die Sampling-Strategie erlaubte die Berücksichtigung unterschiedlicher Geburtshilfe-Settings und Regionen in Deutschland. Alle Interviews wurden aufgezeichnet, transkribiert, anonymisiert und mittels der Thematischen Analyse ausgewertet. Ein positives Ethik-Votum liegt vor.
Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse legen acht zusammenhängende Kategorien nahe, die jeweils fördernde und begrenzende Faktoren implizieren:
1.
Strukturelle/rechtliche Bedingungen auf Meso-/Makroebene;
2.
Wahrnehmung von Geburt (z.B. als medizinischer/natürlicher Vorgang, notwendige Kompetenz und Kontrolle);
3.
Vertrauen/Atmosphäre;
4.
Kennenlernen/ Beziehungsaufbau mit Gebärenden;
5.
Sozioökonomische Position (SEP) der Gebärenden;
6.
Information der Gebärenden;
7.
Entscheidungs- und Artikulationsfähigkeit der Gebärenden und
8.
Verhalten der Begleitpersonen.
Zudem wurden Strategien der Hebammen zur Erweiterung des Handlungsspielraums identifiziert. Mehrere Faktoren unterscheiden sich abhängig vom Geburtssetting.
Diskussion: Die Möglichkeiten für eine selbstbestimmte Geburt können sich je nach Setting (z.B. institutionelle Routinen), zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen (z.B. Vertrauen) und individuellen Faktoren (z.B. SEP) unterscheiden. Folglich können politische, institutionelle und individuelle Strategien eine selbstbestimmte Geburt – und damit eine personenzentrierte, situativ angemessene Versorgung – unter Berücksichtigung der oben genannten Faktoren unterstützen.
Praktische Implikationen: Die Ergebnisse liefern konkrete Anhaltspunkte für Maßnahmen zur Unterstützung einer selbstbestimmten Geburt in verschiedenen Geburtssettings. Empfohlen werden u. a. die Verbesserung von Informationsprozessen vor und während der Geburt, die Verbesserung des Zugangs zu Versorgungsangeboten, der Abbau finanzieller Hürden in der Inanspruchnahme, die Förderung von Beziehungsaufbau und eine Stärkung der hebammengeleiteten Geburt.
Appell für die Praxis (Wissenschaft und/oder Versorgung) in einem Satz: Akteur*innen und Entscheidungsträger*innen der Geburtshilfe können die Selbstbestimmung Gebärender durch gezielte individuelle, institutionelle und politische Maßnahmen fördern.
Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über theoretische Konzepte sowie epidemiologisch-empirische Erkenntnisse zu Häufigkeit und Determinanten psychischer Erkrankungen bei zugewanderten Menschen sowie zur Inanspruchnahme und Versorgungspraxis. Auf der Basis dieser Erkenntnisse werden vielversprechende Ansätze der Versorgungspraxis sowie der weiteren Forschung vorgestellt.
Kernaussagen:
- Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund sind nicht per se kränker oder gesünder als die Bevölkerung ohne Migrationshintergrund. Expositionen vor, während und nach der Migration können aber unterschiedliche Gesundheitsressourcen und Krankheitsrisiken mit sich bringen.
- Über das Merkmal „Migrationshintergrund“ hinaus variiert eine Vielzahl an Krankheitsrisiken abhängig vom sozioökonomischen Status (SES), dem Alter, Geschlecht und der Aufenthaltsdauer im Zielland.
- Bei 11 bis 17-jährigen Kindern und Jugendlichen mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund bestehen kaum Unterschiede in der Selbsteinschätzung der körperlichen Gesundheit.
- Erwachsene mit Migrationshintergrund aus spezifischen Herkunftsländern weisen statistisch ein geringeres Risiko für bösartige Neubildungen wie Brust-, Haut- oder Lungenkrebs sowie für Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen auf. Erhöhte Risiken bestehen für Arbeitsunfälle, psychsiche Erkrankungen sowie in einzelnen Sub-Gruppen für Infektionskrankheiten wie Tuberkulose, Hepatitis und HIV.
- Ausländische Säuglinge, Kinder und Jugendliche in Deutschland weisen eine höhere Mortalitätsrate auf als deutsche Gleichaltrige. Zugewanderte Menschen im Alter von 20 bis 60 Jahren haben eine geringere, im Alter von 65 bis 69 Jahren eine höhere Mortalitätsrate als die nicht-migrierte Bevölkerung.
- Die Sterblichkeit ausländischer Personen gleicht sich mit zunehmender Aufenthaltsdauer in Deutschland an das Mortalitätsmuster der einheimischen Bevölkerung an.
Objectives:
Mothers of young children have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to explore how occupational, psychosocial and partnership-related factors were associated with their self-reported mental well-being during the first COVID-19 wave.
Methods:
Five hundred fifty participants of the BaBi cohort study (est. 2013, Bielefeld, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany) were invited to complete an online survey and to take part in email interviews (April–May 2020). With survey data, we assessed self-reported mental well-being through validated instruments (eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire; short version of the Symptom Checklist) and ran linear regression models for occupational, psychosocial and partnership-related factors. We performed content analysis on the interviews’ data to further understand the determinants of the women’s mental well-being.
Results:
One hundred twenty-four women participated in the survey; of which 17 also participated in the interviews. A perceived lack of support in childcare was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, while having a higher internal locus of control was associated with lower levels. Psychological distress was higher in those reporting lack of emotional or childcare support. Interviews confirmed the interplay of potential stressors and highlighted the difficulties to reconcile different expectations of motherhood.
Discussion:
Occupational, psychosocial and partner-related factors can act (to varying degree) both as resources and stressors to the self-reported mental well-being of mothers of young children. These impacts took different forms and created opportunities or challenges, depending on specific life circumstances, such as work or family situations, relationships and own psychosocial resources. Although not representative, our study contributes to building the COVID-19 evidence base, delineating the mental health toll of the pandemic on mothers of young children and the factors that contribute to it.
Background
Claims for self-determined childbirth (SDC) have gained increasing scientific, political and societal attention. However, research on SDC is limited. This study analyzes and compares midwives’ experiences and perspectives on factors that promote or limit SDC in hospitals, birthing centers and during home births in Germany. We argue that these insights are essential in order to foster self-determination and to avoid its violation.
Methods
A qualitative case study was conducted based on semi-structured face-to-face interviews with midwives working in hospitals, birthing centers, and offering home births in Germany. In total, nine interviews were conducted in 2021 and have been audiotaped, transcribed, anonymized and analyzed by use of Thematic Analysis.
Results
The results indicate eight inter-related categories, each of which imply promoting and limiting factors: 1) Structural/ legal conditions; 2) Perception of birth (e. g. as natural or medical process; required competence and control); 3) Trust and atmosphere; 4) Getting acquainted/relationship building; 5) Birthing person’s socioeconomic position; 6) Birthing person’s preparation/ education; 7) Birthing person’s capability of decision making and expression; and 8) Behavior of accompanying persons. Moreover, we identified midwives’ strategies to extend possibilities of choice. Several factors clearly differ depending on the birth setting.
Conclusions
The opportunities for SDC seem to differ according to the setting (e.g. institutional routines), inter-personal relations (e.g. getting acquainted, trust), and individual factors (e.g. socioeconomic position, capabilities). Hence, political, institutional and individual strategies may support SDC in consideration of the above factors. Measures may, among others, include the improvement of information processes, the reduction of economic barriers, relationship building before and during birth as well as respective structural adjustments.
Do regional characteristics predict developmental delay? Analyses of German school entry examination
(2022)
Background
Children's health and development are strongly linked to their living situation, including their family's socioeconomic position (SEP) and living region. However, research on the impact of the living region on children's development beyond family SEP is scarce. This study evaluated whether rurality and regional socioeconomic deprivation (DEP) are associated with children's development independently of family SEP.
Methods
The study used population-based data of 5-6.5 years old children (n = 22,801) from mandatory school entry examinations (SEE) in the German federal state of Brandenburg, which were examined in 2018/2019. The SEE data have been linked with data on i. rurality that was defined by an inverted population density and ii. regional DEP that were provided by the German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation. By binary multilevel models, the predictive values of rurality and regional DEP for global developmental delay (GDD) were evaluated, while adjusting for family SEP.
Results
Children with high family SEP showed reduced odds for GDD compared to medium family SEP (female: OR = 4.26, CI95=3.14-5.79, male: OR = 3.46, CI95=2.83-4.22) and low family SEP (female: OR = 16.58, CI95=11.90-23.09, male: OR = 12.79, CI95=10.13-16.16). Regional DEP additionally predicted GDD, with higher odds for children from more deprived regions (female: OR = 1.35, CI95=1.13-1.62, male: OR = 1.20, CI95=1.05-1.39). Rurality did not predict GDD beyond family SEP and regional DEP.
Conclusions
In addition to family SEP, the regional DEP has an effect on children's developmental delay. Hence, Public Health should take into account regional socioeconomic conditions as determinant of health over the life course in addition to family SEP.
Elevated stress during pregnancy in women of Turkish origin: Results from a prospective cohort study
(2022)
Background
Ethnic health disparities exist in the context of pregnancy and childbirth, suggesting that women of Turkish origin (i.e., they or their parents born in Turkey) in Germany have higher risks for some adverse maternal health and child developmental outcomes. Stress is believed to be a relevant pathway by which migration may be associated with these risks. In this study, we tested associations of Turkish origin with stress biology and psychological stress experiences during pregnancy.
Methods
140 pregnant women (33 of Turkish/26 of other origin) participated in a prospective cohort study that was carried out in Bielefeld and Berlin (Spallek et al., 2020). Inflammatory markers CRP and IL-6 from venous blood samples and diurnal cortisol profiles from salivary cortisol samples were derived and participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) at two study visits during pregnancy (T1: 20-25 weeks of gestation, T2: 30-35 weeks of gestation). Multilevel models were conducted to account for the nested data structure due to repeated measurements.
Results
Compared to non-migrant women, women of Turkish origin had significantly higher inflammatory levels (b = 0.28, SE = 0.14, p=.052) (Spallek et al., 2021), a blunted cortisol awakening response (b=-0.21, CI=-0.38–0.03, p<.05), a flatter diurnal cortisol slope (b = 0.02, CI = 0.00-0.04, p<.05), and higher PSS (b = 0.46, SE = 0.13, p< .001) and CESD scores (b = 0.29, SE = 0.08, p<.001) during pregnancy after adjusting for socioeconomic factors.
Conclusions
The results of our study suggest higher stress at the biological and psychological level in pregnant women of Turkish origin. Stress is a risk factor for pregnancy complications and poor birth and child developmental outcomes. To reduce such unequally distributed risks, interventions for stress reduction are needed that are tailored to women of Turkish origin.
Background
Immigrants from Turkey experience health disadvantages relative to non-immigrant populations in Germany that are manifest from the earliest stages of the lifespan onwards and are perpetuated across generations. Chronic stress and perturbations of stress-responsive physiological systems, including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis, are believed to in part mediate this relationship. Cortisol plays an important role in the association between maternal stress during pregnancy and many pregnancy-, birth- and offspring-related outcomes. We therefore examined whether maternal migrant background is associated with diurnal cortisol variation during pregnancy.
Methods
109 pregnant women (incl. n = 32 Turkish origin women) that participated in a multi-site prospective cohort study in Germany collected saliva samples across the day on two consecutive days around 24 and 32 weeks gestation. Hierarchical linear models were applied to quantify associations between migrant background and diurnal cortisol variation across pregnancy.
Results
Women of Turkish origin exhibited a significantly lower cortisol awakening response (CAR) and a flatter diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) compared to non-migrant women after adjusting for household income. These relationships between migrant status and diurnal cortisol variation were mainly driven by 2nd generation migrants.
Discussion
A potential HPA axis dysregulation of Turkish-origin pregnant women may contribute to the intergenerational transmission of health disadvantages in this group.
Methods: 140 pregnant women participated in a multi-site prospective cohort study in, Germany with two study visits during pregnancy (T1: 24.44 ± 2.34, T2: 32.92 ± 1.72 weeks of gestation). Maternal BMI was derived from body length and current weight and was residualized for gestational week at assessment. Pro-inflammatory markers CRP and IL-6 were analyzed from venous blood samples and combined into a repeatedly measured composite inflammation score.
Results: In a path model, T1-BMI significantly predicted T2-inflammation (b=0.53, SE=0.02, p <.001), and T1-inflammation predicted T2-BMI (b=0.46, SE=0.42, p <.001), suggesting a bidirectional relationship between BMI and inflammation. However, further adjustment for pre-pregnancy BMI diminished the association between T1-inflammation and T2-BMI (b=0.004, SE=0.22, p =.922), whereas the relationship between T1-BMI and T2-inflammation remained significant (b=0.20, SE=0.01, p =.004). Thus, adjusting for pre-pregnancy BMI underlined a unidirectional relationship.
Conclusions: Based on these results, reducing overweight may be a relevant target for interventions to reduce inflammation and the risk of subsequent adverse outcomes.
Background: The Covid-19 pandemic led to increased work-related strain and psychosocial burden in nurses worldwide, resulting in high prevalences of mental health problems. Nurses in long-term care facilities seem to be especially affected by the pandemic. Nevertheless, there are few findings indicating possible positive changes for health care workers. Therefore, we investigated which psychosocial burdens and potential positive aspects nurses working in long-term care facilities experience during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study among nurses and nursing assistants working in nursing homes in Germany. The survey contained the third German version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III). Using Welch's t-tests, we compared the COPSOQ results of our sample against a pre-pandemic reference group of geriatric nurses from Germany. Additionally, we conducted semi-structured interviews with geriatric nurses with a special focus on psychosocial stress, to reach a deeper understanding of their experiences on work-related changes and burdens during the pandemic. Data were analysed using thematic coding (Braun and Clarke).
Results: Our survey sample (n = 177) differed significantly from the pre-pandemic reference group in 14 out of 31 COPSOQ scales. Almost all of these differences indicated negative changes. Our sample scored significantly worse regarding the scales 'quantitative demands', 'hiding emotions', 'work-privacy conflicts', 'role conflicts', 'quality of leadership', 'support at work', 'recognition', 'physical demands', 'intention to leave profession', 'burnout', 'presenteeism' and 'inability to relax'. The interviews (n = 15) revealed six main themes related to nurses' psychosocial stress: 'overall working conditions', 'concern for residents', 'management of relatives', 'inability to provide terminal care', 'tensions between being infected and infecting others' and 'technicisation of care'. 'Enhanced community cohesion' (interviews), 'meaning of work' and 'quantity of social relations' (COPSOQ III) were identified as positive effects of the pandemic.
Conclusions: Results clearly illustrate an aggravation of geriatric nurses' situation and psychosocial burden and only few positive changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pre-existing hardships seem to have further deteriorated and new stressors added to nurses' strain. The perceived erosion of care, due to an overemphasis of the technical in relation to the social and emotional dimensions of care, seems to be especially burdensome to geriatric nurses.
Predictors and prevalence of hazardous alcohol use in middle-late to late adulthood in Europe
(2022)
Objectives: Even low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption can have detrimental health consequences, especially in older adults (OA). Although many studies report an increase in the proportion of drinkers among OA, there are regional variations. Therefore, we examined alcohol consumption and the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use (HAU) among men and women aged 50+ years in four European regions and investigated predictors of HAU.
Methods: We analyzed data of N = 35,042 participants of the European SHARE study. We investigated differences in alcohol consumption (units last week) according to gender, age and EU-region using ANOVAs. Furthermore, logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of income, education, marital status, history of a low-quality parent–child relationship and smoking on HAU, also stratified for gender and EU-region. HAU was operationalized as binge drinking or risky drinking (<12.5 units of 10 ml alcohol/week).
Results: Overall, past week alcohol consumption was 5.0 units (±7.8), prevalence of HAU was 25.4% within our sample of European adults aged 50+ years. Male gender, younger age and living in Western Europe were linked to both higher alcohol consumption and higher risks of HAU. Income, education, smoking, a low-quality parent–child relationship, living in Northern and especially Eastern Europe were positively associated with HAU. Stratified analyses revealed differences by region and gender.
Conclusions: HAU was highly prevalent within this European sample of OA. Alcohol consumption and determinants of HAU differed between EU-regions, hinting to a necessity of risk-stratified population-level strategies to prevent HAU and subsequent alcohol use disorders.
Background: Nurses’ work-related strain and psychological burden increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in high prevalences of mental health problems among nurses worldwide. Nurses in long-term care facilities seem to be particularly prone to overall heightened burden and poor mental health.
Research question: We investigated which work-related psychosocial burdens and potential positive aspects nurses working in nursing homes experience during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Method: We conducted a mixed-methods study. Eligible for participation were nurses and nursing assistants working in nursing homes within the state of Brandenburg, Germany. Between August and October 2020, we distributed an anonymous survey containing the third German version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III). Using Welch’s t-tests, we compared the COPSOQ results of our sample against a pre-pandemic reference group of geriatric nurses, drawn from the German COPSOQ databank and kindly shared by the Freiburg Research Centre for Occupational Science. In June 2021, we also conducted semi-structured interviews with geriatric nurses to reach a deeper understanding of their experiences on work-related changes and burdens during the first phases of the pandemic. Data were analysed using thematic coding (Braun and Clarke).
Results: Our survey sample (n=177) differed significantly from the reference group in 14 out of 31 COPSOQ scales. Amongst others, our sample scored significantly worse regarding the scales ‘support at work’, ‘recognition’, ‘quantitative demands’, ‘hiding emotions’, ‘role conflicts’, ‘intention to leave profession’, ‘burnout’ and ‘inability to relax’. The interviews (n=17) revealed five main themes related to nurses’ psychosocial stress: ‘overall working conditions under the hygiene measures’, ‘concern for isolated residents’, ‘management of relatives’, ‘inability to provide terminal care‘, ‘tensions between being infected and infecting others’ and ‘technicisation of care’. ‘Enhanced community cohesion’ and ‘meaning of work’ were identified as positive effects of the pandemic.
Discussion: Results indicate that nurses in nursing homes experience enhanced psychosocial and work-related strain. The comparisons with the pre-pandemic reference group suggest that the situation further aggravated during the pandemic. Nurses exhibited high psychosocial burden, e.g., due to strongly impeded possibilities to fulfill the emotional and social dimensions of care and the constant fear of infection or transmission. Deteriorated working conditions (e.g., higher workload through staff shortages and additional tasks) further exacerbated these burdens. Few positive aspects of the pandemic may be important sources of resilience.
Practical implications: The reduction of nurses’ strain through psychosocial support and the improvement of working conditions is crucial for the protection of nurses’ health.
Appeal for practice in one sentence: Political players as well as care facilities should take measures to improve nurses’ situation in order to maintain a healthy workforce and high-quality care.
Einleitung Die gesundheitlichen Folgen von Adipositas für junge Menschen können schwerwiegend sein. Bei der Entwicklung verschiedener Gesundheitsoutcomes wie Adipositas spielt für junge Menschen die Familie als auch ihre sozioökonomische Position (SEP) eine große Rolle. In dieser Analyse wird untersucht, welche familiäre Determinanten den Zusammenhang zwischen SEP der Familie und Adipositas bei Jugendlichen erklären.
Methoden Die vorliegende Analyse wurde mit Daten der "Studie zur Gesundheit von Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland" (KiGGS) (Basiserhebung, Welle 1 und 2) durchgeführt (1301 weibliche und 1232 männliche 11- bis 17-Jährige). Mittels logistischer Regressionsmodelle (KHB-Methode) wurden für den Zusammenhang zwischen der SEP der Familie (Einkommen, berufliche Stellung, Bildung, SES-Index) und Adipositas (Ja/Nein) bei Jugendlichen die mediierenden Effekte von familiären Determinanten (elterliches Rauchen, elterliche sportliche Aktivitäten, elterliches Übergewicht, familiärer Stress und familiärer Zusammenhalt) analysiert.
Ergebnisse Die Prävalenz von Adipositas betrug 7,9 % bei den weiblichen und 8,4 % bei den männlichen Jugendlichen. Es zeigen sich signifikante Zusammenhänge zwischen Adipositas und SEP zu Ungunsten von jenen mit niedriger sozioökonomischer Position. Familiäre Determinanten erklären teilweise oder vollständig den Zusammenhang zwischen SEP und Adipositas bei Jugendlichen. Es wurden geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede im Ausmaß der Mediation der Familie gefunden. Bei Jungen erklären familiäre Determinanten vollständig den Zusammenhang zwischen Adipositas und Einkommen sowie zwischen Adipositas und der beruflichen Stellung der Eltern. Bei männlichen Jugendlichen lässt sich der indirekte Effekt abhängig von der jeweiligen SEP-Variable zu 20,8 – 27,9 % auf das elterliche Rauchen, zu 14,8 – 26,3 % auf die elterliche sportliche Aktivität und zu 42,6 – 63,6 % auf das elterliche Übergewicht zurückführen. Bei Mädchen wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen der SEP und Adipositas teilweise durch familiäre Determinanten erklärt. Bei weiblichen Jugendlichen lässt sich der indirekte Effekt abhängig von der jeweiligen SEP-Variable zu 26,0 – 52,2 % auf das elterliche Rauchen und zu 41,6 – 67,6 % auf das elterliche Übergewicht zurückführen.
Schlussfolgerung Die Adipositas-Prävalenz von Jugendlichen variiert nach dem SEP. Familiäre Determinanten sind wichtige mediierende Faktoren für gesundheitliche Ungleichheiten bei Adipositas von Jugendlichen. Es zeigt sich, dass sich Unterschiede in der Adipositas nach SEP insbesondere durch das elterliche Gesundheitsverhalten (v.a. elterliches Rauchen, elterliches Übergewicht und elterliche sportliche Aktivität) erklären lassen. Die Berücksichtigung und Einbindung der Familie bei der Planung und Umsetzung von Gesundheitsförderungs- und Präventionsprogrammen für gesundheitliche Chancengleichheit bei Jugendlichen ist essentiell.
The role of regional health policy for socioeconomic inequality in health services utilization
(2022)
Background
“J1” is a preventative routine examination in Germany recommended for adolescents at the age of 12-14 years. In contrast to the well-established U1-U9 examinations for younger children, with participation rates above 90%, the attendance of the J1 examination is approximately only 40%. The most frequent reason for not attending J1 is the unawareness of this examination. “Ticket to J1” is an intervention including an information leaflet introduced in Bavaria in 2017 to inform adolescents about J1. The aims of the present analysis are to investigate (1) if the regional policy was effective in increasing the attendance in J1, (2) if the effects vary by family socioeconomic status (SES), and (3) which meso-level characteristics of the healthcare system correlate with attendance rates in J1.
Methods
We used anonymised data of a large statutory health insurance in Germany for the timeframe of 2016-2018. To investigate the effect of the policy, a difference-in-differences design at the individual level was used. Assuming a parallel trend at the level of federal states, the likelihood of attendance in J1 of 13- and 14-year-olds was compared between Bavaria and other federal German states before and after policy introduction. All analyses were additionally stratified by SES.
Results
The introduction of “Ticket to J1” increased participation in J1 by 1% after controlling for all confounders. Furthermore, the effect was stronger for children from families with lower SES (an increase of 5%). Density of pediatricians was positively significantly correlated with participation in J1.
Discussion
Regional health policy intervention had a significant positive impact on attendance of J1 and appears to have the potential to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare utilization. Informing adolescents about J1 seems to increase the attendance, in particular for children from families with lower SES.
Background
Children's overweight is associated with many factors, including their living situation, in particular their family's socioeconomic position (SEP) and family characteristics. Research on the extent to which family characteristics account for a social gradient in overweight in early life is scarce. This study evaluated whether family characteristics explain SEP differences in the risk of overweight in early childhood.
Methods
The study used baseline data of 3-6 year-old children (n = 1,116) from the intervention ‘Ene mene fit’ conducted at kindergartens in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Data included overweight (body mass index > 90 percentile) and parents’ reports on their education and family characteristics associated with overweight (child consumes: sweets in front of TV, soft drinks; family joined time: outdoor, breakfast, sports; cooking; child sets table; role model). Model-based single mediation analyses decomposed the total effect of highest parental education on overweight into direct (unmediated) and indirect (mediated) effects (OR, 95% CI).
Results
Girls and boys with low parental education had higher odds for overweight than children with high/medium education. Among boys, low education influenced the risk of overweight via indirect effects of i. ‘sweets consumption in front of TV’ (OR = 1.31, 1.05-1.59) and ii. ‘no joined sports’ (OR = 1.14, 1.00-1.44). The direct effect of low education only remained significant when ‘no joined sports’ was considered (OR = 2.19, 1.11-5.19). Among girls, family characteristics measured here did not explain SEP differences in overweight.
Conclusions
The family characteristics ‘sweets consumption in front of TV’ and ‘no joined sports’ contribute to inequalities in overweight among boys, but not among girls. Therefore, more gender-sensitive research is needed to identify family risk and protective characteristics that explain health inequalities among both boys and girls.
Einleitung Die J1 ist eine Vorsorgeuntersuchung, die für Kinder zwischen 12 und 14 Jahren empfohlen ist. Im Gegensatz zu den etablierten U1- bis U9-Untersuchungen für jüngere Kinder mit Teilnahmeraten über 90% liegt die Teilnahme bei der J1 bei etwa 40%. Ein Grund für die mangelnde Teilnahme an der J1 ist die geringe Bekanntheit bei Eltern und Kindern. Mehrere Bundesländer haben Einladungswesen eingeführt, um Jugendliche zur Teilnahme an der J1 zu motivieren. Die Einladung „Dein Ticket zur J1“ wurde Mitte 2017 in Bayern eingeführt. Das „Ticket“ ist ein Informationsflyer über die J1 in einer jugendgerechten Gestaltung. Die vorliegende Analyse untersuchte, ob die regionale Informationskampagne zu einer Steigerung der Teilnahme an der J1 geführt hat, ob die Effekte mit dem sozioökonomischen Status der Familie (SES) variieren und welche Meso-Ebene-Merkmale des Gesundheitssystems mit der J1-Teilnahme korrelieren.
Methoden Um die Wirkung der Intervention zu untersuchen, wurden bundesweite anonymisierte Routinedaten der Techniker Krankenkasse aus den Jahren 2016-2018 sowie ein Difference-in-Differences-Design auf individueller Ebene verwendet. Unter der Annahme eines parallelen Trends auf Bundesländerebene wurde die J1-Teilnahme von 13- und 14-Jährigen in Bayern mit anderen Bundesländern vor und nach der Intervention verglichen. Zusätzlich wurde die Analyse für die verschiedenen SES-Gruppen durchgeführt. Wir untersuchten auch, ob Faktoren auf Mesoebene des Gesundheitssystems mit der Teilnahme an der J1 korrelierten.
Ergebnisse Die Einführung von „Dein Ticket zur J1“ erhöhte die Teilnahme an der J1 um 1 %. Obwohl eine höhere Bildung und berufliche Stellung der Eltern positiv mit der J1-Teilnahme korrelierten, war der Effekt der Intervention bei Kindern aus Familien mit niedrigerem SES stärker (Anstieg um 5 %). Die Kinderarztdichte auf Kreisebene korrelierte zudem positiv mit der Teilnahme an der J1.
Schlussfolgerung Die Intervention hat das Potenzial, die sozioökonomische Ungleichheit bei der Inanspruchnahme von Gesundheitsleistungen zu verringern, da die Effekte für Kinder aus Familien mit niedrigerem SES stärker waren. Es bedarf jedoch weiterer Maßnahmen, um Jugendliche über die J1 und die damit verbundenen gesundheitlichen Vorteile zu informieren. Zukünftige Studien sollten untersuchen, von welchen weiteren Faktoren die Wirksamkeit der Intervention abhängt, wie z. B. die Art und Anzahl der Kommunikationskanäle.
Objectives: To synthesise the evidence on the role of compositional or contextual characteristics of schools in the association between students' socioeconomic position and their health in primary and secondary education in developed economies.
Design: Scoping review. We included studies examining the role of at least one school or class characteristic on students' health inequalities and was published since 1 January 2000, in English or German. We searched PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Education Resources Information Center. We provided a narrative synthesis and an overview of findings. School characteristics were grouped into five broad categories: school composition, school climate, school policies and organisation, food environment and facilities.
Results: Of 8520 records identified, 26 studies were included. Twelve studies found a moderating and 3 a mediating effect. The strongest evidence came from studies examining the moderating effect of school composition, that is, the negative impact of a low individual socioeconomic position on mental health and well-being was aggravated by a low average socioeconomic position of schools. Evidence concerning the role of school climate, school stratification (eg, performance base tracking) and sponsorship, food environment and sport facilities and equipment was generally weak or very weak and mostly based on singular findings. Overall, favourable meso-level characteristics mitigated the negative impact of low individual socioeconomic position on health outcomes.
Conclusions: School characteristics affect health inequalities in children and adolescents to some degree, but future research is necessary to strengthen the existing evidence and address under-represented aspects in school characteristics and health outcomes.
Socioeconomic position and self-rated health among adolescents: the mediating role of the family
(2022)
Background
Although health inequalities in adolescence are well documented, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Few studies have examined the role of the family in explaining adolescents’ health inequalities. The study aimed to explore whether the association between socioeconomic position and self-rated health (SRH) was mediated by familial determinants.
Methods
Using data from wave 2 of the KiGGS study (1,838 female and 1,718 male 11- to 17-year-olds), linear regression analyses were conducted to decompose the total effects of parents’ education, occupation, income, socioeconomic position index, and adolescents’ subjective social status on SRH into direct effects and indirect effects through familial determinants (family cohesion, parenting styles, parental well-being, stress, obesity, smoking and sporting activity).
Results
A significant total effect of all socioeconomic position indicators on SRH was found, except for income in male adolescents. In female adolescents, more than 70% of the total effects of each socioeconomic position indicator were explained by familial mediators, whereas no significant direct effects remained. The most important mediator was parental well-being, followed by family cohesion, parental smoking and sporting activity. In male adolescents, the associations of parental education, the socioeconomic position index and subjective social status with SRH were also mediated by familial determinants (family cohesion, parental smoking and obesity). However, a significant direct effect of subjective social status remained.
Conclusions
The family appears to play an important role in explaining health inequalities, particularly in female adolescents. Reducing health inequalities in adolescence requires policy interventions, community-based strategies, as well as programs to improve parenting and family functioning.
Objective
Although health inequalities in adolescence are well documented, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Few studies have examined the role of the family in explaining the association between the family’s socioeconomic position and adolescents’ self-rated health. The current study aimed to explore whether the association between socioeconomic position and self-rated health was mediated by familial determinants.
Methods
Using data from wave 2 of the”German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents” (KiGGS) (1,838 female and 1,718 male 11- to 17-year-olds), linear regression analyses were conducted to decompose the total effects of income, education, occupational status, socioeconomic position index and adolescents’ subjective social status on self-rated health into direct effects and indirect effects through familial determinants (family cohesion, parental well-being, parental stress, parenting styles, parental obesity, smoking and sporting activity).
Results
A significant total effect of all socioeconomic position indicators on self-rated health was found, except for income in male adolescents. In female adolescents, more than 70% of the total effects of each socioeconomic position indicator were explained by familial mediators, whereas no significant direct effects remained. The most important mediator was parental well-being, followed by family cohesion, parental smoking and sporting activity. In male adolescents, the associations between income, parental education, the socioeconomic position index and subjective social status were also mediated by familial determinants (family cohesion, parental smoking, obesity and living in a single-mother family). However, a significant direct effect of subjective social status remained.
Conclusion
The analysis revealed how a family’s position of socioeconomic disadvantage can lead to poorer health in adolescents through different family practices. The family appears to play an important role in explaining health inequalities, particularly in female adolescents. Reducing health inequalities in adolescence requires policy interventions (macro-level), community-based strategies (meso-level) and programs to improve parenting and family functioning (micro-level).
Background
The number of obese children is rising worldwide. Many studies have investigated single determinants of children’s body mass index (BMI), yet studies measuring determinants at different potential levels of influence are sparse. The aim of this study is to investigate the independent role of parental socioeconomic position (SEP), additional family factors at the micro level, as well as early childhood education and care (ECEC) centre characteristics at the meso level regarding BMI.
Methods
Analyses used the baseline data of the PReschool INtervention Study (PRINS) including up to 1,151 children from 53 ECEC centres. Multi-level models first estimated the associations of parental SEP indicators (parental school education, vocational training, and household income) with the children’s standard deviation scores for BMI (SDS BMI, standardised for age and gender). Second, structural (number of siblings), psychosocial (strained family relationships), and nutrition behavioural (soft-drink consumption, frequency of fast-food restaurant visits) family factors at the micro level were included. Third, characteristics of the ECEC centre at the meso level in terms of average group size, the ratio of overweight children in the group, ECEC centre type (all-day care), and the location of the ECEC centre (rural vs urban) were included. All analyses were stratified by gender and adjusted for age, migration background, and parental employment status.
Results
Estimates for boys and girls appeared to differ. In the full model, for boys the parental SEP indicators were not related to SDS BMI. Factors related to SDS BMI in boys were: two or more siblings; B = -.55; p = 0.045 [ref.: no sibling]), the characteristics of the ECEC centre in terms of average group size (20 – 25 children; B = -.54; p = 0.022 [ref.: < 20 children]), and the ratio of overweight children (more overweight children B = -1.39; p < 0.001 [ref.: few overweight children]). For girls the number of siblings (two and more siblings; B = .67; p = 0.027 [ref.: no sibling]) and average group size (> 25 children; B = -.52; p = 0.037 [ref.: < 20 children]) were related to SDS BMI.
Conclusions
The BMI of preschool children appears to be associated with determinants at the micro and meso level, however with some gender differences. The identified factors at the micro and meso level appear largely modifiable and can inform about possible interventions to reduce obesity in preschool children.
Objectives The main objective was to systematically map evidence regarding the emergence of health inequalities in individuals aged 16–24 years during school-to-work and school-to-university transition (STWT). Second, we aimed to summarise the evidence on potential effects of contextual and compositional characteristics of specific institutional contexts entered during STWT on health and health behaviours.
Design Scoping review.
Study selection Relevant literature was systematically searched following the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. Ovid MEDLINE and Web of Science, and websites of the International Labour Organization and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health were searched, using a predetermined search strategy. Articles in English or German published between 1 January 2000 and 3 February 2020 were considered.
Data extraction To collect the main information from the selected studies, a data extraction spreadsheet was created. Data were summarised and grouped into five health outcomes and five institutional contexts (school, vocational training, university, work, unemployment).
Results A total of 678 articles were screened for inclusion. To be able to draw a picture of the development of various health outcomes over time, we focused on longitudinal studies. Forty-six prospective studies mapping health-related outcomes during STWT were identified. Higher family socioeconomic position (SEP) was associated with higher levels of health behaviour and lower levels of health-damaging behaviour, but there was also some evidence pointing in the opposite direction. Disadvantaged family SEP negatively impacted on mental health and predicted an adverse weight development. There was limited evidence for the outcomes physical/somatic symptoms and self-rated health. Meso-level characteristics of the institutional contexts identified were not systematically assessed, only individual-level factors resulting from an exposure to these contexts, rendering an analysis of effects of contextual and compositional characteristics on health and health behaviours impossible.
Conclusions This scoping review demonstrated a wide range of health inequalities during STWT for various health outcomes. However, knowledge on the role of the core institutional contexts regarding the development of health inequalities is limited.
Einleitung Zielsetzung des Beitrags ist es, zu untersuchen, inwiefern die sozioökonomische Komposition von Schulen mit dem Wohlbefinden von Schülerinnen und Schülern in Deutschland assoziiert ist. Konkret wurden die Assoziationen der Bildung, des Einkommens und des beruflichen Status der Eltern auf Individualebene und aggregiert auf Schulebene sowie die Interaktionen zwischen diesen Ebenen auf das subjektive Wohlbefinden von Schülern der Sekundarstufe I untersucht.
Methoden Es wurden Daten der Startkohorte „Klasse 5“ des Nationalen Bildungspanels (NEPS) herangezogen. Die Kohorte startete 2010 mit einer repräsentativen Stichprobe von Fünftklässlern in Deutschland, welche jährlich nachverfolgt wurden. Es wurden Erhebungswellen von der fünften bis zur neunten Klasse zusammengefasst. Damit konnten 14.265 Beobachtungen mit vollständigen Angaben von 3.977 Schülerinnen und Schülern in 218 Schulen in den Analysen berücksichtigt werden. Mit Mixed-Models wurde getestet, ob die sozioökonomische Position auf individueller und/oder schulischer Ebene und die ebenenübergreifende Interaktion dieser Indikatoren mit dem Wohlbefinden (adaptierter Personal Well-Being – School Children-Index) der Jugendlichen assoziiert ist. Es wurde für Alter, Geschlecht, Migrationshintergrund, Familienform, Schultyp und Notendurchschnitt kontrolliert.
Ergebnisse Auf individueller Ebene war das elterliche Einkommen mit höherem Wohlbefinden verbunden. Der berufliche Status der Eltern zeigte keine signifikanten Assoziationen. Auf Schulebene fanden wir einen geringen, positiven Zusammenhang zwischen dem durchschnittlichen elterlichen Einkommen und dem individuellen Wohlbefinden, aber auch einen mäßig negativen Einfluss eines hohen Anteils hoch gebildeter Eltern auf das Wohlbefinden. In Sensitivitätsanalysen blieben diese Zusammenhänge auch bei separater Betrachtung dieser Indikatoren bestehen. Die Zusammenhänge auf Individualebene wurden nicht durch die sozioökonomische Komposition von Schulen moderiert, es konnten keine signifikanten ebenenübergreifende Interaktionen festgestellt werden.
Schlussfolgerung Es wurde ein Zusammenhang der sozioökonomischen Zusammensetzung der Schule mit dem subjektiven Wohlbefinden der Jugendlichen gefunden. Internationale Befunde einer Moderation der Zusammenhänge auf individueller Ebene durch sozioökonomische Charakteristika auf Schulebene konnten jedoch nicht repliziert werden. Die Zusammenhänge zwischen individueller SEP und Wohlbefinden variieren somit nicht in Abhängigkeit von der SEP auf Schulebene. Es zeigen sich vielmehr in Teilen additive Effekte für die individuelle und schulische SEP.
Background: At the end of secondary education, young people can either start vocational training, enter university, directly transition to employment or become unemployed. Research assumes that post-secondary pathways have immediate and/or long-term impacts on health and well-being, but empirical investigations on this are scarce and
restricted to few countries. Therefore, this study traced the development of health and well-being throughout the highly institutionalised school-to-work transition (STWT) in Germany.
Methods: We used longitudinal data of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), a representative sample of 11,098 school-leavers (50.5% girls) repeatedly interviewed between 2011 and 2020. We estimated the effect of post-secondary transitions on self-rated health and subjective well-being by applying fixed-effects (FE) regression, elimi-nating bias resulting from time-constant confounding and self-selection into different pathways. A multiple-sample strategy was used to account for the increasing diversity of STWTs patterns. Models were controlled for age, as well as household and residential changes to minimise temporal heterogeneity. Results: Findings indicate that leaving school was good for health and well-being. Compared with participants who did not find a training position after school, direct transitions to vocational training or university were linked to higher
absolute levels of health and well-being, but also to a lower relative decline over time. Furthermore, upward transi-tions (e.g. to programs leading to better education or from unemployment to employment) were associated with improvements in health and well-being, while downward transitions were followed by deteriorations. Conclusion: Findings suggest that school-leave is a sensitive period and that post-secondary pathways provide young people with different abilities to maintain health and well-being. Youth health interventions might benefit when setting a stronger focus on unsuccessful school-leavers.
Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide.1 In this context, the burden of CAD shows considerable regional heterogeneity at the national level. For example, age-standardized mortality rates varied between 106 and 178 deaths per 100 000 at the level of German federal states in 2019.2 The regional heterogeneity of cardiovascular mortality suggests that the residential environment should be considered as an important determinant for successful secondary prevention. Environmental features that were frequently drawn upon to explain regional inequalities of cardiovascular outcomes are spatial socioeconomic deprivation (SSD) and rurality.3 Rurality may impact cardiovascular health due to impaired access to healthcare services. Socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods, on the other hand, exhibit restricted opportunities to eat healthy, exercise regularly, utilize health care, and avoid environmental hazards such as air pollution.
Background: By explaining the development of health inequalities, eco-social theories highlight the importance of social environments that children are embedded in. The most important environment during early childhood is the family, as it profoundly influences children’s health through various characteristics. These include family processes,
family structure/size, and living conditions, and are closely linked to the socioeconomic position (SEP) of the family. Although it is known that the SEP contributes to health inequalities in early childhood, the effects of family characteristics on health inequalities remain unclear. The objective of this scoping review is to synthesise existing research on the mediating and moderating effects of family characteristics on socioeconomic health inequalities (HI) during early childhood in high-income countries.
Methods: This review followed the methodology of “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews”. To identify German and English scientific peer-reviewed literature published from January 1st, 2000, to December 19th,
2019, the following search term blocks were linked with the logical operator “AND”: (1) family structure/size, processes, living conditions, (2) inequalities, disparities, diversities, (3) income, education, occupation, (4) health and (5) young children. The search covered the electronic databases PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus.
Results: The search yielded 7,089 records. After title/abstract and full-text screening, only ten peer-reviewed articles were included in the synthesis, which analysed the effects of family characteristics on HI in early childhood. Family processes (i.e., rules /descriptive norms, stress, parental screen time, parent–child conflicts) are identified to have mediating or moderating effects. While families’ living conditions (i.e., TVs in children’s bedrooms) are suggested as
mediating factors, family structure/size (i.e., single parenthood, number of children in the household) appear to moderate health inequalities. Conclusion: Family characteristics contribute to health inequalities in early childhood. The results provide overall
support of models of family stress and family investment. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding the role of family health literacy, regarding a wide range of children’s health outcomes (e.g., oral health, inflammation parameters, weight, and height), and the development of health inequalities over the life course starting at birth.
Introduction: The neighbourhood in which one lives affects health through complex pathways not yet fully understood. A way to move forward in assessing these pathways direction is to explore the spatial structure of health phenomena to generate hypotheses and examine whether the neighbourhood characteristics are able to explain this spatial structure. We compare the spatial structure of two cardiovascular disease risk factors in three European urban areas, thus assessing if a non-measured neighbourhood effect or spatial processes is present by either modelling the correlation structure at individual level or by estimating the intra-class correlation within administrative units. Methods: Data from three independent studies (RECORD, DHS and BaBi), covering each a European urban area, are used. The characteristics of the spatial correlation structure of cardiovascular risk factors (BMI and systolic blood pressure) adjusted for age, sex, educational attainment and income are estimated by fitting an exponential model to the semi-variogram based on the geo-coordinates of places of residence. For comparison purposes, a random effect model is also fitted to estimate the intra-class correlation within administrative units. We then discuss the benefits of modelling the correlation structure to evaluate the presence of unmeasured spatial effects on health. Results: BMI and blood pressure are consistently found to be spatially structured across the studies, the spatial correlation structures being stronger for BMI. Eight to 22% of the variability in BMI were spatially structured with radii ranging from 100 to 240 m (range). Only a small part of the correlation of residuals was explained by adjusting for the correlation within administrative units (from 0 to 4 percentage points). Discussion: The individual spatial correlation approach provides much stronger evidence of spatial effects than the multilevel approach even for small administrative units. Spatial correlation structure offers new possibilities to assess the relevant spatial scale for health. Stronger correlation structure seen for BMI may be due to neighbourhood socioeconomic conditions and processes like social norms at work in the immediate neighbourhood.
Background
Health disparities in children of immigrants are prevalent from birth and are hypothesized to – in part – emerge as a biological consequence of migration’s unfavorable social and psychological sequelae. The aim of this study was to examine whether maternal migrant background is associated with inflammation during pregnancy - a key pathway by which maternal states and conditions during pregnancy may influence fetal development and subsequent pregnancy, birth, and child developmental and health outcomes.
Material and Methods
Data was available from 126 pregnant women who participated in a population based multi-site prospective birth cohort study in Bielefeld and Berlin, Germany. The study included two study visits in mid- and late pregnancy. At each visit, a composite maternal pro-inflammatory score was derived from circulating levels of plasma inflammatory markers (IL-6, CRP). Migrant background was defined by country of origin of participants and their parents’ (Turkey or other) and generation status (1st or 2nd generation). We applied hierarchical linear models (HLM) in order to quantify the relationship between different migrant background variables and inflammation during pregnancy after adjustment for potential confounders (including socioeconomic status).
Results
Migrant background was significantly associated with inflammation during pregnancy. When compared to women without migrant background, levels of inflammation were increased in 1) pregnant women with migrant background in general (B = 0.35, SE = 0.12, p < .01); 2) 1st (B = 0.28, SE = 0.15, p < .10) and 2nd generation (B = 0.40, SE = 0.15, p < .01); 3) women with a Turkish migrant background (B = 0.28, SE = 0.14, p < .10) and women with another migrant background (B = 0.42, SE = 0.15, p <.01); and 4) 2nd generation Turkish origin women (B = 0.38, SE = 0.20, p <.10), 1st generation women with other migrant background (B = 0.44, SE = 0.26, p <.10), and 2nd generation women with other migrant background (B=0.43, SE = 0.17, p <.05).
Discussion
Our findings support a role for maternal inflammation as a pathway of intergenerational transmission of migration-related health inequalities, suggest that the effect seems to persist in 2nd generation immigrants, and highlight the need for future research and targeted interventions in this context.
Objective: Official German recommendations advise women to start taking folic acid supplementation (FAS) before conception and continue during the first pregnancy trimester to lower the risk of birth defects. Women from lower socioeconomic background and ethnic minorities tend to be less likely to take FAS in other European countries. As little is known about the determinants of FAS in Germany, we aimed to investigate the association between FAS and formal education and migration background, adjusting for demographic factors.
Design: We used data (2013-2016) on nutrition and socioeconomic and migration background from the baseline questionnaire of the BaBi cohort study. We performed multivariate regressions and mediation analyses.
Setting: Bielefeld, Germany.
Participants: 947 women (pregnant or who had given birth in the past two months).
Results: 16.7% of the participants (158/947) didn't use FAS. Migration-related variables (e.g. language, length of stay) were not associated with FAS in the adjusted models. FAS was lower in women with lower level of formal education and in unplanned pregnancies. Reasons given by women for not taking FAS were unplanned pregnancy and lack of knowledge of FAS.
Conclusions: Health practitioners may be inclined to see migrant women as an inherently at-risk group for failed intake of FAS. However, it is primarily women who did not plan their pregnancy, and women of lower formal education level, who are at risk. Different public health strategies to counter low supplementation rates should be supported, those addressing the social determinants of health (i.e. education) and those more focussed on family planning.
Healthcare workers (HCW) play a vital role in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic control. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and the risk of COVID-19 infections in a cohort of HCW from four different risk groups (from intensive care unit to administration) of a hospital of a primary care level in rural Germany. The outcomes were monthly measures of antibody seroprevalence over a period of 6 months. Overall, a seroprevalence of 13.41% was determined, with significantly higher prevalence rates among HCW working in areas with more frequent contact to confirmed or suspected cases (30.30%, p = 0.003). The group specific differences in the risk of infection from COVID-19 were detected, as HCW groups with frequent exposure seemed to have an increased risk (RR = 3.18, p = 0.02; CI95 1.09–9.24). The findings contribute to the epidemiological understanding of the virus spread in an unvaccinated population group, which is highly relevant for the pandemic management.
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.
Kernaussagen
- Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund sind nicht per se kränker oder gesünder als die Bevölkerung ohne Migrationshintergrund. Expositionen vor, während und nach der Migration können aber unterschiedliche Gesundheitsressourcen und Krankheitsrisiken mit sich bringen.
- Über das Merkmal „Migrationshintergrund“ hinaus variiert eine Vielzahl an Krankheitsrisiken abhängig vom sozioökonomischen Status (SES), dem Alter, Geschlecht und der Aufenthaltsdauer im Zielland.
- Bei 11 bis 17-jährigen Kindern und Jugendlichen mit und ohne Migrationshintergrund bestehen kaum Unterschiede in der Selbsteinschätzung der körperlichen Gesundheit.
- Erwachsene mit Migrationshintergrund aus spezifischen Herkunftsländern weisen statistisch ein geringeres Risiko für bösartige Neubildungen wie Brust-, Haut- oder Lungenkrebs sowie für Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen auf. Erhöhte Risiken bestehen für Arbeitsunfälle, psychsiche Erkrankungen sowie in einzelnen Sub-Gruppen für Infektionskrankheiten wie Tuberkulose, Hepatitis und HIV.
- Ausländische Säuglinge, Kinder und Jugendliche in Deutschland weisen eine höhere Mortalitätsrate auf als deutsche Gleichaltrige. Zugewanderte Menschen im Alter von 20 bis 60 Jahren haben eine geringere, im Alter von 65 bis 69 Jahren eine höhere Mortalitätsrate als die nicht-migrierte Bevölkerung.
- Die Sterblichkeit ausländischer Personen gleicht sich mit zunehmender Aufenthaltsdauer in Deutschland an das Mortalitätsmuster der einheimischen Bevölkerung an.
Soziale Ungleichheit führt bereits im Kindesalter zu gesundheitlicher Benachteiligung. Gesundheitsfördernde Angebote in Deutschland sind noch unzureichend miteinander verknüpft und erreichen sozialbenachteiligte Familien nur bedingt. International ist Community Child Health Nursing (CCHN) verbreitet und bietet einen möglichen Ansatz, um die gesundheitliche Chancengleichheit von Kindern zu stärken. Dieser Beitrag diskutiert das Berufsbild der CCH-Nurses und konzeptionelle Aspekte für die Implementierung in Deutschland.
Dieser Sammelband soll Lehrende in den Gesundheitsfachberufen in ihrer Arbeit unterstützen, indem er kompakte Einführungen in zentrale gesundheitswissenschaftliche Themen anbietet. Mit diesem Ziel im Blick haben Masterstudierende der Berufspädagogik für Gesundheitsfachberufe der Brandenburgischen TU Cottbus-Senftenberg im Herbst/Winter 2020 im Modul „Gesundheitswissenschaftliche Grundlagen II“ die Beiträge in diesem Band erarbeitet. Entstanden sind Einführungstexte zu verschiedenen gesundheitswissenschaftlichen Themen von Pädagog*innen für Pädagog*innen: Die Autor*innen suchen in ihren Texten immer wieder den Bezug zur berufspädagogischen Praxis und schlagen Hilfestellungen für die Gestaltung von Lehr-Lern-Situationen vor. Dazu zählen neben möglichen Reflexionsfragen auch Hinweise zur curricularen Einbindung relevanter Gesundheitsthemen und Überblicke zu vertiefender Literatur. Zentrale Aussagen sind am Ende der Kapitel unter dem Punkt „Wichtig zu wissen“ zusammen gefasst. Die fachliche Diversität der Autor*innen schlägt sich auch in den gewählten Beispielen nieder. So erörtern einige Autor*innen die Relevanz theoretischer Ansätze für die Pflege, andere beziehen Beispiele aus der Hebammenkunde und Physiotherapie ein.
Kinder von Migrant*innen zeigen bereits in frühen Lebensjahren häufig Gesundheitsdisparitäten, die mit mütterlicher Gesundheit und migrationsbezogenen Faktoren eng zusammenhängen. Zur Erklärung dieses Phänomens der intergenerationalen Transmission von Gesundheitsdisparitäten schlagen wir ein Modell vor, das eine Lebensverlaufsperspektive mit dem Konzept der fetalen Programmierung von Gesundheit und Krankheitsvulnerabilität zusammenbringt.
Dieses Kapitel stellt theoretische und empirische Grundlagen der Gesundheit, ihrer Determinanten und der gesundheitlichen Ungleichheit als Gegenstand eines systematischen Gesundheitsunterrichts vor (Goldfriedrich/Hurrelmann in diesem Band, Kern-Wert 2 des Gesundheitsunterrichtes). Das Wissen um die Komplexität menschlicher Vielfalt und deren Einfluss auf die gesundheitliche Situation bildet die Grundlage für das Verständnis zentraler Gesundheitsdimensionen (u. a. Müller/Porges in diesem Band) sowie die didaktische Schwerpunktsetzung in verschiedenen Institutionen im Entwicklungsverlauf, wie dem Gymnasium (Schwegmann in diesem Band), der Berufsschule (Trumpa/Dorn in diesem Band) oder in Hochschulen (Sprenger in diesem Band). In diesem Kontext erläutert das Kapitel die Problematik ungleich verteilter Gesundheitschancen und stellt die Bandbreite relevanter Einflussfaktoren am Beispiel der sozialen Lage, des Migrationshintergrunds und des Geschlechts bei Kindern und
Jugendlichen vor. Es zeigt auf, wie dieses Wissen im Bildungskontext curricular implementiert werden kann, um bereits im Kindes- und Jugendalter einen Beitrag zur gesundheitlichen Chancengleichheit leisten zu können.
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.
Othering beschreibt die Markierung von Menschen als „anders“ oder „nicht zugehörig“. Ausgehend von den Konzepten des exclusionary und inclusionary Othering diskutiert dieser Beitrag drei Ansätze zu i) exclusionary Public Health, ii) inclusionary Public Health und iii) diversitätssensiblem Public Health. Die Implikationen der Ansätze werden am Beispiel des Umgangs mit der COVID-19 Pandemie bei schutzsuchenden Menschen in Aufnahmeeinrichtungen und Sammelunterkünften in Deutschland aufgezeigt.
Gesundheitsdisparitäten manifestieren sich in der Nachkommengeneration von Migrant*innen teilweise schon in frühen Lebensjahren. Viele dieser Gesundheits-disparitäten werden durch sozioökonomische Benachteiligung und Akkulturation vermittelt.
Anhand des Konzeptes der fetalen Pro-grammierung kann erklärt werden, dass das mütterliche Stresserleben – vermittelt über endokrine und immunologische Prozesse – die spätere Gesundheit und Krank-heitsvulnerabilität der Nachkommen bereits in der Schwangerschaft beeinflusst.
Es gibt aus der internationalen Forschung zahlreiche Belege dafür, dass endokrine und immunologische Prozesse den Zusam-menhang zwischen mütterlichen migrationsbezogenen Stressoren und Schwangerschafts-, Geburts- und späteren Gesundheitsoutcomes des Kindes vermitteln. Bei Migrant*innen in Deutschland sind diese Zusammenhänge weitestgehend unterforscht.
Migration beeinflusst die Gesundheit.
Ob sich Migration gesundheitlich positiv oder negativ auswirkt, hängt von einer Vielzahl von Faktoren ab, die in verschiedenen Erklärungsmodellen in einen Zusammenhang gebracht werden.
Wichtig bei der Beschreibung des Zusammenhangs sind eine zeitliche Komponente und die Einbeziehung der individuellen Lebensläufe der Migrant*innen mit ihren Lebensabschnitten vor, während und nach der Migration.
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.
Die Diversität der Auszubildenden, Lehrkräfte und Praxisanleiter*innen in der Pflegeausbildung nimmt zu. Interkulturelle Kompetenzen sollten deshalb bereits in die pflegepädagogische und pflegerische Ausbildung integriert werden.
Eine kulturell kompetente Pflegeausbildung basiert auf der Wertschätzung aller Beteiligten in ihrer kulturellen Vielfalt. Sie bedarf der steten Reflexion "eigener" un "fremder" Prägungen und der eigenen kulturellen Befangenheit und Begrenztheit.
Machtasymmetrien, Kollektiverfahrungen, Fremdbilder und differente Kulturmuster können zu kommunikativen Herausforde-rungen in der interkulturellen Begegnung führen. Über die individuelle Selbstreflexion hinaus ist es entscheidend, die sozialen, rechtlichen, ökonomischen, institutionel-len und organisationalen Rahmenbedingungen des Lernens und Lehrens zu verbessern.
Für die Pflegeausbildung empfehlenswert sind
- die Integration interkultureller Kompetenzen in die Ausbildung von Lehrenden,
- die Entwicklung kultursensibler Pflege-curricula,
- die Förderung von (Selbst-)reflexion in kollegialen Fallberatungen,
- das Antworten auf Vielfalt durch entsprechende Leitungs- und Anstellungsstrategien,
- der reflektierte und verständnisvolle Umgang mit unterschiedlichen Sprachkennt-nissen,
- das Nutzen entzerrter, dialogischer und kooperativer Lernstrukturen sowie
- die Begleitung von Lernenden durch So-zialarbeiter*innen.
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.
Research on the psychosocial care (PSC) of unaccompanied minor refugees (UMRs) has mainly taken a socioepidemiological approach and has focused on the perspectives of experts in the field. In contrast, the knowledge concerning the differing context factors and the underlying mechanisms of current PSC which could inform policy recommendations is scant. The study aims at unravelling the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of PSC for UMRs. For a realist review (RR), scientific evidence and gray literature were synthesised consistent with the RAMESES publication standards for realist synthesis. Based on an iterative keyword search in electronic databases (e.g., PubMed) and screening, 34 works from 2005 to 2019 were included in a realist synthesis. Theory-informed context-mechanism-outcome configurations (CMOs) were extracted, to explain underlying processes and mechanisms. Characterised by their interrelatedness, the dominant CMOs included the UMRs' intersections of transitions (e.g., adolescence and migration), their needs for culture-, and gender-sensitive PSC, and the undersupply of PSC. These contexts and outcomes are mediated by pre-, peri- and post-migratory stressors as well as care structures and are moreover influenced by overarching discourses and concepts. They comprise adverse and beneficial mechanisms in the PSC of UMRs. The existing literature grasps the PSC of UMRs by different disciplines and approaches but does not offer a comprehensive overview on micro-macro intersections and included discourses. The inclusion of lay perspectives and an intersectional approach could inform health service research. The reflection of UMR-related categorical constructs of resilience and vulnerability, discourses of othering, as well as restrictive health policies may guide policy recommendations.
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.
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.
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.
Issue/problem
In 2020, several German reception centers and asylum camps were imposed mass quarantine after single residents had been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Civil and research networks criticized this measure, as crowded housing conditions limited the implementation of infection protection measures, and mass quarantine further increased the risk of infection. This raised the question why public health (PH) measures in these settings differed from those implemented in the general population, and which implications for future PH approaches can be identified.
Problem description
Considering the epidemiological evidence and ethical perspectives on the PH strategies described above, we applied the concepts of “Exclusionary Othering” and “Inclusionary Othering” to PH. We further discussed the Covid-19 management in German reception centers and asylum camps.
Results
We identified three conceptual approaches: 1) exclusionary, 2) inclusionary, and 3) diversity-sensitive approaches to PH. Exclusionary PH is characterized by an exclusion of less powerful groups despite negative health consequences. Inclusive approaches seek to empower less powerful groups in order to understand each other's needs, build cooperations, protect everyone and to prevent the development of “hot spots”. Diversity-sensitive PH approaches avoid othering and seek to implement measures for everyone, taking into account diverse needs, conditions, and resources.
Lessons
We propose a paradigm shift towards inclusionary and diversity-sensitive PH that benefits the entire population, including those forced to flee other countries. This requires a critical reflection of power dynamics and discrimination. The proposed concepts can be transferred to other social groups, regions, and areas of PH.
Key messages
Public health needs to shift its perspective from exclusion and subordination to inclusion and involvement.
Inclusionary and diversity-sensitive PH approaches promote health equity.
Characteristics of early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers might be relevant for children’s health. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the association between meso-level characteristics (MLCs) of ECEC centers with children’s health, health behavior, and wellbeing. Five databases were searched for quantitative and qualitative research articles published in English or German since 1 January 2000 on health, health behavior, and wellbeing of children aged 0 to 6 years considering MLCs of ECEC centers. Two authors screened 10,396 potentially eligible manuscripts and identified 117 papers, including 3077 examinations of the association between MLCs and children’s health indicators (Kappas > 0.91). Five categories of MLCs were identified: (1) structural characteristics, (2) equipment/furnishings, (3) location, (4) facilities/environment, (5) culture/activities/policies/practices, and 6) staff. Only very few studies found an association of MLCs with body weight/obesity, and general health and wellbeing. Especially physical activity and mental health were related to MLCs. In general, the location (rural vs. urban, neighborhood status) seemed to be a relevant health aspect. MLCs of ECEC centers appeared relevant for child health indicators to different degrees. Future research should focus on these associations, in detail, to identify concrete ECEC indicators that can support health promotion in early childhood.
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.
This scoping review systematically mapped evidence of the mediating and moderating effects of family characteristics on health inequalities in school-aged children and adolescents (6–18 years) in countries with developed economies in Europe and North America. We conducted a systematic scoping review following the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews recommendations. We searched the PubMed, PsycINFO and Scopus databases. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts. Evidence was synthesized narratively. Of the 12,403 records initially identified, 50 articles were included in the synthesis. The included studies were conducted in the United States (n = 27), Europe (n = 18), Canada (n = 3), or in multiple countries combined (n = 2). We found that mental health was the most frequently assessed health outcome. The included studies reported that different family characteristics mediated or moderated health inequalities. Parental mental health, parenting practices, and parent-child-relationships were most frequently examined, and were found to be important mediating or moderating factors. In addition, family conflict and distress were relevant family characteristics. Future research should integrate additional health outcomes besides mental health, and attempt to integrate the complexity of families. The family characteristics identified in this review represent potential starting points for reducing health inequalities in childhood and adolescence.
Do families have moderating or mediating effects on early health inequalities? A scoping review
(2021)
Background
During early childhood, families have a crucial impact on children's health behaviour, health, and development (bhd). However, a family's socioeconomic position (SEP) determines both the parental behaviour, living conditions, and child health. To understand how family characteristics may influence the development of health inequalities, this scoping review synthesised research on their mediating and moderating effects.
Methods
The review followed the guidelines of the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. The search included German and English peer-reviewed articles published between January 1st, 2000 and December 19th, 2019. The search in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus used both free text terms in the title/abstract and index terms within linked keyword blocks: (1) family characteristics, (2) inequalities, (3) income, education, occupation, (4) bhd, (5) newborn, infant, toddler, preschooler. Two researchers independently examined eligibility for inclusion in two rounds (title/abstract; full-text).
Results
Of 7,089 articles identified, ten sources were included that studied family characteristics and health inequalities among 0-6 years olds. Parental rules, stress, and screentime, and TV in bedroom showed mediating effects on inequalities in behaviour problems or children's screentime. Families' negativity, single parenthood, and the number of children in the household moderated differences in impairment, health, behaviour problems, development or breastfeeding initiation.
Conclusions
The effect of family characteristics on early health inequalities has been sparsely investigated. The evidence supported models of family stress and investment. Further research is needed to comprehensively understand this association.
Key messages
Family characteristics contribute to health inequalities.
Taking families’ stress and investment into account could improve targeted prevention efforts aimed at reducing health inequalities.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.