Our research activities

The central research topic of medical sociology is the role of social factors, such as education, income and occupation, in the onset and progression of diseases against the background of socio-demographic change in the population.

The "Family Health Research Network", which is anchored in Medical Sociology, conducts evaluation studies on the effectiveness of preventive and rehabilitation measures for mothers, fathers and children as well as for family caregivers and conducts basic research on maternal and child health.

In 2013, studies on morbidity compression began with a focus on long-term trends in morbidity and health. The aim of these studies is to provide a differentiated description of the temporal development of morbidity, mortality, healthy life expectancy and subjective health for different population groups. On the one hand, these studies are carried out using long-term data from the AOK Lower Saxony. On the other hand, data from national and international survey data such as SOEP, DEAS, SHARE and ESS are used. In addition to the differentiated description of morbidity and health trends, the research activities are aimed at explaining the findings on the basis of health and medical sociological theories and deriving practical implications for health promotion and prevention.

In addition to socio-structural factors, the effects of chronic and acute stress on the onset and progression of illnesses are examined. Previous work has focused on the health consequences of life-changing events in old age and on the links between stressful events and heart attacks and breast cancer. This essentially also includes reintegration into working life during or after completion of treatment. In summer 2016, a three-year study on returning to work after breast cancer was launched, funded by the German Federal Pension Insurance Fund. This was followed in 2202 by a further study on returning to everyday life after breast cancer (follow-up project).