Background: The legislator aims for homogeneous, comprehensive, and locally accessible medical care for the population (§ 72 SGB V). Unlike rural areas, research on general practitioner care structures in urban areas remains limited. However, a granular examination of general practitioners’ activities in medical care, particularly to identify the inverse relationship between social status and increased disease burden, is currently under discussion.
Objective: The aim is to analyze the potential correlation between socioeconomic and health-related factors and proximity to the general practitioner in the cities of Bochum, Essen, and Mülheim/R in the Ruhr area.
Methods: Data from n=1,958 participants (55-85 years, 49% male) of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study (2010-2013) were analyzed. Alongside health-related (subjective health status, multimorbidity, Framingham Risk Score) and socioeconomic factors (SES), the general practitioner’s address was recorded. Participants’ and general practitioners’ residences were geocoded, and Euclidean distances between participants’ residences and general practitioners were calculated using a Geographical Information System (ArcGIS 10.3). Results are described by age groups and gender-specifically. Multiple linear regression analysis considers additional influencing factors (BMI, etc.).
Results: [Results will be inserted here]
Conclusion: [Conclusion will be inserted here]
This doctoral thesis examines the associations between spatial proximity to general practitioners and individual health and social factors in the elderly population of the Ruhr area. By analyzing data from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, the study aims to shed light on the relationship between socioeconomic status, health indicators, and access to primary care services in urban settings. Using advanced statistical methods and geographical information systems, the research contributes valuable insights into healthcare accessibility and its implications for elderly populations in urban environments.