Project Details
Projekt
Socioeconomic inequalities in health during the COVID-19 pandemic (INHECOV): empirical analyses and implications for pandemic preparedness
Applicants
Dr. Jens Hoebel; Privatdozent Dr. Timo-Kolja Pförtner; Privatdozent Dr. Morten Wahrendorf
Subject Area
Public Health, Healthcare Research, Social and Occupational Medicine
Epidemiology and Medical Biometry/Statistics
Epidemiology and Medical Biometry/Statistics
Term
since 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 458531028
Socioeconomic inequalities in health are well documented in social epidemiological research for a wide range of diseases. First evidence from the current COVID-19 pandemic also suggests that socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups are more likely to be infected with the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and to experience a severe disease progression of COVID-19. In addition to these primary health consequences of the pandemic, socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups could also be affected more frequently by the secondary health consequences of the pandemic and by the negative side effects of the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI). These secondary health consequences includes, in particular, psychological stress during the pandemic. So far, there are no reliable results available for Germany on socioeconomic inequalities in the primary and secondary health consequences of the pandemic and the negative side effects of the NPIs. The objective of the proposed joint research project is to systematically summarize the evidence on this issue and to create reliable findings for the COVID 19 pandemic in Germany based on comprehensive empirical analyses. The results are expected to provide new insights into the need for preventive action, especially among socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups, in order to be able to develop targeted recommendations for future pandemic planning. The project is divided into 7 work packages (WP): WP 1 reviews research on socio-economic inequalities in the current and past pandemics. In the second work package, the harmonization and pooling of existing sero-prevalence studies from Germany will create an improved data basis for subsequent analyses. Based on several data sets (including regional reporting data, health insurance data and the pooled sero-prevalence studies), WP3 and WP 4 investigate the primary health consequences for infection risk and disease severity, by socioeconomic groups (WP 3) and by employment conditions and occupational groups (WP4). WP 5 and WP6 investigate possible indirect consequences. WP5 studies the psychosocial consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic and of the NPIs for different socioeconomic groups. WP 6 focuses on the unintended health consequences of the NPIs during the COVID-19 pandemic for precarious employees. Finally, WP 7 summarizes the results of an international workshop with scientists and decision-makers, develops recommendations for pandemic planning at the local level, and participates in the development of a learning concept for the training of future decision-makers in public health services. The cooperation of three sites and the comprehensive coordinated analysis of data sets as well as the transfer of the results to the public health services are innovative aspects of the project.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
