Health is a luxury: Poverty in Brandenburg increases the risk of illness!

Health is a luxury: Poverty in Brandenburg increases the risk of illness!

In today's world, when health is increasingly seen as a barometer for quality of life, a recent study shows that there is an alarming connection between income and health status in Brandenburg. The state's morbidity index has such high values ​​that it ranks in the top half of the federal states, which means that the burden of disease is particularly high here maz-online.de reported. This index provides information about the population's susceptibility to disease and has a nationwide average of 1.0. A value above 1 indicates a higher disease burden.

The income factor in particular plays a crucial role: people who only earn between 15,000 and 20,000 euros a year are significantly sicker and have a higher probability of death compared to those who earn more than 40,000 euros a year. Regions such as Elbe-Elster and Cottbus are particularly hard hit, where health insurance spending is up to 19 percent above the national average.

Health inequality and children

The gap in health status is particularly serious among children. Children from socially disadvantaged families are more likely to have movement disorders and obesity, and almost one in four children from low social status has a chronic illness. This is a sharp contrast to wealthier families, where only one in twelve children is affected. These inequalities are also visible in school health: in 2024, 40 percent of students with low social status showed speech and language disorders, compared to only 14 percent of their wealthier peers.

There is a clear social gradient here: the lower the socioeconomic position, the lower the health chances. These health inequalities are well documented and have been extensively examined in various health science and social epidemiological studies, as well as the bpb.de confirmed.

Pension and illnesses

But it's not just children who suffer from these conditions. A study shows that people in Brandenburg have to retire earlier due to health problems: in 2022, 18.45 percent of new retirees were in retirement due to health reasons, while on average only 15.78 percent had to retire early across the country. Diagnoses such as diabetes, chronic pain and obesity are more common in Brandenburg than in other federal states, while psychological illnesses such as depression fortunately occur less frequently and Brandenburg recorded the lowest depression rate in Germany in 2023.

These health challenges and the resulting inequalities can no longer be ignored. It is crucial that politics and society work together to reduce these differences and give all citizens the chance to live a healthy life. There is an urgent need for action in Brandenburg to establish a fairer health system that supports people in every situation.