Morten Wahrendorf1, Christoph J Rupprecht2, Olga Dortmann2, Maria Scheider2, Nico Dragano3. 1. Institut für Medizinische Soziologie, Centre for Health and Society, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Deutschland. wahrendorf@uni-duesseldorf.de. 2. Abteilung Gesundheitspolitik und Gesundheitsökonomie, AOK Rheinland/Hamburg - die Gesundheitskasse, Düsseldorf, Deutschland. 3. Institut für Medizinische Soziologie, Centre for Health and Society, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Deutschland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Unemployment is related to poverty and is a risk factor for poor health. The present study investigates if unemployment increases the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization for men and women of working age in Germany. METHODS: The study uses the health insurance data from AOK Rhineland/Hamburg (from 1 January 2020 until 18 June 2020) of 1,288,745 persons aged between 18 and 65. Four employment situations are distinguished: (1) regular employment, (2) low-wage employment with social support, (3) unemployment with receipt of unemployment benefit 1, and (4) long-term unemployment with receipt of unemployment benefit 2. COVID-19 hospitalizations are measured on the basis of the ICD codes U07.1 and U07.2 reported by the hospitals. Multiple logistic regression models are calculated (adjusted for age and sex). RESULTS: During the observation period, 1521 persons had hospitalization with COVID-19 as primary or secondary diagnosis. Overall, this corresponds to a rate of 118 cases per 100,000 insured persons. Rates varied by employment situation. Compared with regularly employed persons, the odds ratio for a hospitalization was 1.94 (CI 95%: 1.74-2.15) for long-term unemployment, 1.29 (0.86-1.94) for unemployed, and 1.33 (0.98-1.82) for low-wage employment. CONCLUSION: The results are in line with earlier studies from the USA and Great Britain reporting socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 hospitalization risk. This provides the first empirical support that socioeconomic inequalities in the severity of COVID-19 also exists in Germany.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Unemployment is related to poverty and is a risk factor for poor health. The present study investigates if unemployment increases the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization for men and women of working age in Germany. METHODS: The study uses the health insurance data from AOK Rhineland/Hamburg (from 1 January 2020 until 18 June 2020) of 1,288,745 persons aged between 18 and 65. Four employment situations are distinguished: (1) regular employment, (2) low-wage employment with social support, (3) unemployment with receipt of unemployment benefit 1, and (4) long-term unemployment with receipt of unemployment benefit 2. COVID-19 hospitalizations are measured on the basis of the ICD codes U07.1 and U07.2 reported by the hospitals. Multiple logistic regression models are calculated (adjusted for age and sex). RESULTS: During the observation period, 1521 persons had hospitalization with COVID-19 as primary or secondary diagnosis. Overall, this corresponds to a rate of 118 cases per 100,000 insured persons. Rates varied by employment situation. Compared with regularly employed persons, the odds ratio for a hospitalization was 1.94 (CI 95%: 1.74-2.15) for long-term unemployment, 1.29 (0.86-1.94) for unemployed, and 1.33 (0.98-1.82) for low-wage employment. CONCLUSION: The results are in line with earlier studies from the USA and Great Britain reporting socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 hospitalization risk. This provides the first empirical support that socioeconomic inequalities in the severity of COVID-19 also exists in Germany.
Entities:
Keywords:
COVID-19; Germany; Health inequalities; Infectious disease; Social epidemiology; Unemployment
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