Equality in Living Conditions as a Prerequisite for Health Equity

[摘要] Rau and Schmertmann’s work gratifyingly pursues a direction of research that has developed over the past 15 years at the interface of public health, demography, and geography. It is worth remembering the work on differences in mortality at the district level by Eva Kibele, who in 2012 noted changes in regional mortality rates, especially among women (3). Werner Maier published an index of multiple deprivation in the same year, and has since used it to analyze mortality and other health differences at the community level (4). In our own study in 2008, we showed that health differences no longer follow an east–west gradient; rather, much smaller areas must be examined (5). Selective emigration of younger people, high unemployment, and resulting changes in health-related social norms can be found not only in some districts of eastern Germany, but also, for instance, in the core region of the Ruhr area (5).

[学科分类] 医学（综合）