BACKGROUND: Representative data for Germany were used to determine whether a person's social-status characteristics affect the likelihood of having a check-up for the early detection of disease. METHODS: The analyses reported here were performed on data obtained in the Robert Koch Institute's German Health Update (GEDA) in 2009 and 2010. The survey responses of 26 555 people about whether they had had a check-up were evaluated. For inclusion, participants were required to be over age 35 and covered by statutory health insurance. To study the potential links between social status and check-up participation rates, a multidimensional social-status index was used in addition to three individual components of social status (highest educational level attained, occupational status, income). RESULTS: 50.8% of the men and 49.8% of the women surveyed had had a check-up in the two years before the survey. Low social status was associated with a lower rate of check-ups for both sexes (for men, odds ratio [OR] 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50-0.70, p<0.001; for women, OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.55-0.72, p<0.001). For both men and women, occupational status and income each had independent effects on check-up participation, while educational level was not found to have any independent effect. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that socially disadvantaged persons are less likely to have check-ups than others. Efforts to increase check-up rates should take account of the demonstrated effects of income level and occupational status.
BACKGROUND: Representative data for Germany were used to determine whether a person's social-status characteristics affect the likelihood of having a check-up for the early detection of disease. METHODS: The analyses reported here were performed on data obtained in the Robert Koch Institute's German Health Update (GEDA) in 2009 and 2010. The survey responses of 26 555 people about whether they had had a check-up were evaluated. For inclusion, participants were required to be over age 35 and covered by statutory health insurance. To study the potential links between social status and check-up participation rates, a multidimensional social-status index was used in addition to three individual components of social status (highest educational level attained, occupational status, income). RESULTS: 50.8% of the men and 49.8% of the women surveyed had had a check-up in the two years before the survey. Low social status was associated with a lower rate of check-ups for both sexes (for men, odds ratio [OR] 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50-0.70, p<0.001; for women, OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.55-0.72, p<0.001). For both men and women, occupational status and income each had independent effects on check-up participation, while educational level was not found to have any independent effect. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that socially disadvantaged persons are less likely to have check-ups than others. Efforts to increase check-up rates should take account of the demonstrated effects of income level and occupational status.
Authors: T Lampert; L E Kroll; S Müters; H Stolzenberg Journal: Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz Date: 2013-01 Impact factor: 1.513
Authors: Carlijn B M Kamphuis; Gavin Turrell; Katrina Giskes; Johan P Mackenbach; Frank J van Lenthe Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2012-12-05 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Jens Hoebel; Alexander Rommel; Sara Lena Schröder; Judith Fuchs; Enno Nowossadeck; Thomas Lampert Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2017-09-26 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Slavka Mitričević; Janko Janković; Željka Stamenković; Vesna Bjegović-Mikanović; Marko Savić; Dejana Stanisavljević; Stefan Mandić-Rajčević Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-03-16 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Ulrike Stentzel; Jeanette Bahr; Daniel Fredrich; Jens Piegsa; Wolfgang Hoffmann; Neeltje van den Berg Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2018-05-03 Impact factor: 2.655
Authors: Helena Walz; Barbara Bohn; Jessica Sander; Claudia Eberle; Monika Alisch; Bernhard Oswald; Anja Kroke Journal: AIMS Public Health Date: 2015-08-21