title: Do social relations explain health inequalities? Evidence from a longitudinal survey in a changing eastern German region.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explores the contribution of social relations to explain inequalities in self-rated health in a changing north-eastern German region. So far, there are only few studies that analysed the mediating effects of social relations in a longitudinal design.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) consisting of 3,300 randomly selected men and women at baseline (2001), and at the 5-year follow-up (2006). Indicators of social inequality were education, equivalent household income and occupational status. Social relations were estimated by the Social Integration Index (SII) and the perceived instrumental and emotional support. Self-rated general health was assessed at both waves of data collection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depending on the indicators used, social relations explain up to 35% of the inequalities in self-rated health. Changes in odds ratios are slightly more pronounced when education and income are used as inequality indicator and when adjusting for the SII.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall findings suggest that social relations are an important explanatory factor for health inequalities in a deprived German region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sociology and Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. j.klein@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vonneilich
authors.forename: Sebastian E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Baumeister
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kohlmann
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: von dem Knesebeck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies