title: [Poverty, public transfers and health: An analysis on self-rated health of social benefit recipients in Germany].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prevention and reduction of poverty are key elements of social welfare policy in Germany. This study is the first analysis of self-rated health of individuals that escape poverty by benefiting form public transfers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses are based on the German Socio-economic Panel (GSOEP) of 2010. Self-rated health was based on subjective assessment of general health status. Subjects were directly asked about receipt of public transfers. Income poverty was based on the equalized disposable income and is applied to a threshold of 60% of the median-based average income. We analyzed the association between self-rated health and pre- and post-transfer poverty by means of descriptive analyses and binary logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for age, we found a significantly higher risk of poor self-rated health among those who escaped income poverty due to the receipt of social transfers compared to others (ORWomen: 1.85; 95%-CI: 1.27-2.69; ORMen: 2.57; 95%-CI: 1.63-4.05), in particular to those at risk of post-transfer poverty. These poverty-related inequalities in health were predominantly explained by nationality, occupational status, household type and long-term care within the household.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides first evidence that the receipt of public transfers is associated with increased risk of poor health in the light of impending income-poverty. This study adds to the current debate about the social and health implications of public transfers in the relationship between poverty and health.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinsoziologie, Versorgungsforschung und Rehabilitationswissenschaft (IMVR), Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät und Medizinische Fakultät, Universität zu Köln, Köln.
authors.forename: T-K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Pförtner
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische Soziologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale).
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schumann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012943:Social Security / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult