Germany feels healthy

Professor Cornelia Bormann released this summer her new Textbook in health Sciences. In it, she also analyzes data related to the health status of the population.

In the framework of the health reporting of the Federal government is regularly informed about the state of health of the population. In addition to many information on the prevalence or incidence-wise frequency of diseases, symptoms and risk factors, utilization of medical services, health behaviour and living conditions are also find information on life expectancy and subjective health.

Since 1990, it has increased the life expectancy in Germany.

In women, an increase from an average of 2.8 and in men is 3.8 years. This results in a improvement of the health is derived (RKI, 2006). Today, the life expectancy for women is 81.6 years and for men 76 years. Despite the approximation in both sexes, women’s life, therefore, still almost 6 years longer than men. The gain in life expectancy is particularly attributed to a reduction in old-age mortality, and a reduction in infant mortality. The level of life expectancy is not available for all regions and all population groups.

Differences occur between the old and the new länder but also between the individual länder. The highest life expectancy in Baden-Württemberg, the Vorpommern lowest in men, in Mecklenburg and in the case of women in Saxony-Anhalt (Statistisches Bundesamt, 1998). Also, the social situation has an impact on life expectancy.

It may be observed that, in General, people from socially and educationally disadvantaged population groups, a lower life expectancy (RKI, 2006) than the better-off population groups. The subjective evaluation of health status is an indicator of the health of the can be shown for Germany with the help of the data from the Federal health survey. Here, too, a positive image for Germany. One fifth of Germans over the age of 18 years, values his health in the year 2003 as very well, and only every Hundredth as bad (RKI, 2006, p. 18). Combining the response categories ‘very good’ and ‘good’, three-quarters of the respondents perceive their health positively. As expected, the proportion decreases as age increases, but at the age of 65 years, it is still 54.1% of men and 44.0% of women who experience their health as good or very good (ibid.). These Rates have remained stable for the last 10 years, more or less stable. Similar results show up when you requested the health satisfaction.

Health satisfaction is queried, in General, on a scale of 0 to 10. For men, an average value of 6.5 for women and 6.2. Men are slightly more satisfied with their health than women. This difference and the extent of the health remained in the last 10 years relatively stable.

In summary, one can say that the life expectancy has increased in the last few years, and that the satisfaction with the health and the subjective health in Germany on a high, stable level. Regional differences and differences due to different life situations influence this positive image (see section IV).

The Text is taken from the book health Sciences – introduction of Cornelia Bormann: UTB, 19,99 € (D), 256 pages , ISBN 978-3-8252-3788-2.