On the life course perspective in income related health inequalities: a semiparametric approach

Compared with the broad supply of literature measuring socioeconomic gradients in the distribution of health, only little is know about the life course perspective regarding income related inequalities. This article combines the reowned concentration index approach with semiparametric estimation techniques to derive a new varying index of inequality that copes without a priori sample stratification. We illustrate the power of this new index using health data drawn from the German microsensus and find support for the age as leveler hypothesis. Our index suggests that significant inequalities to the detriment of the deprived increase over the working life and reacht their maximum around the age for retirement. We find no significant inequalities for adolescents and elder people. --

“A very orderly retreat”: Democratic transition in East Germany, 1989-90

East Germany's 1989-90 democratisation is among the best known of East European transitions, but does not lend itself to comparative analysis, due to the singular way in which political reform and democratic consolidation were subsumed by Germany's unification process. Yet aspects of East Germany's democratisation have proved amenable to comparative approaches. This article reviews the comparative literature that refers to East Germany, and finds a schism between those who designate East Germany's transition “regime collapse” and others who contend that it exemplifies “transition through extrication”. It inquires into the merits of each position and finds in favour of the latter. Drawing on primary and secondary literature, as well as archival and interview sources, it portrays a communist elite that was, to a large extent, prepared to adapt to changing circumstances and capable of learning from “reference states” such as Poland. Although East Germany was the Soviet state in which the positions of existing elites were most threatened by democratic transition, here too a surprising number succeeded in maintaining their position while filing across the bridge to market society. A concluding section outlines the alchemy through which their bureaucratic power was transmuted into property and influence in the “new Germany”

Evaluation des Bundesprogramms "Soziale Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt" (Zb1-04812-2/31): zweiter Zwischenbericht

Das Bundesprogramm "Soziale Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt" zielt auf die Verbesserung der sozialen Teilhabe von arbeitsmarktfernen Langzeitleistungsbeziehenden im SGB II, die entweder mit Kindern in einer Bedarfsgemeinschaft leben und/oder auf Grund von gesundheitlichen Einschränkungen besonderer Förderung bedürfen. Es ist im Jahr 2015 gestartet und läuft bis zum 31.12.2018. An dem Programm nahmen zur Jahresmitte 2017 ca. 15.000 Personen in 195 Jobcentern teil. Das Bundesprogramm „Soziale Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt“ wird somit in knapp der Hälfte aller Jobcenter bundesweit umgesetzt. Der vorliegende Zwischenbericht stellt Zwischenergebnisse der programmbegleitenden Evaluation vor. Erstmals werden Ergebnisse aus Fallstudien zur lokalen Umsetzung vorgestellt, und es werden erstmals Ergebnisse aus der CATI-Befragung von Teilnehmenden und Kontrollpersonen zur sozialen Teilhabe, der zentralen Ergebnisvariable des Programms, vorgestellt.The programme "Social Inclusion in the Labour Market" (Soziale Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt) is a Federal labour market programme aiming to support social inclusion of persons with severe placement obstacles who are long-time receivers of Arbeitslosengeld II (minimum income support). The programme runs from 2015 to 31.12.2018 and focusses on persons who live together with children and / or who need special support due to health limitations. In 2017, about 15,000 persons from 195 Jobcenters participated, i.e. nearly a half of all Jobcenters in Germany have implemented the programme. This intermediate research report presents for the first time results from local case studies about the programme implementation. Furthermore, for the first time results concerning the social inclusion the main outcome variable of the programme of participants and non-participants are presented and discussed

Doha agreement meeting on terminology and definitions in groin pain in athletes.

BACKGROUND: Heterogeneous taxonomy of groin injuries in athletes adds confusion to this complicated area. AIM: The 'Doha agreement meeting on terminology and definitions in groin pain in athletes' was convened to attempt to resolve this problem. Our aim was to agree on a standard terminology, along with accompanying definitions. METHODS: A one-day agreement meeting was held on 4 November 2014. Twenty-four international experts from 14 different countries participated. Systematic reviews were performed to give an up-to-date synthesis of the current evidence on major topics concerning groin pain in athletes. All members participated in a Delphi questionnaire prior to the meeting. RESULTS: Unanimous agreement was reached on the following terminology. The classification system has three major subheadings of groin pain in athletes: 1. Defined clinical entities for groin pain: Adductor-related, iliopsoas-related, inguinal-related and pubic-related groin pain. 2. Hip-related groin pain. 3. Other causes of groin pain in athletes. The definitions are included in this paper. CONCLUSIONS: The Doha agreement meeting on terminology and definitions in groin pain in athletes reached a consensus on a clinically based taxonomy using three major categories. These definitions and terminology are based on history and physical examination to categorise athletes, making it simple and suitable for both clinical practice and research

Wirkungen des SGB II auf Personen mit Migrationshintergrund: Projekt IIa1 - 04/06 ; Jahresbericht zum 31.12.2008 - Hauptband

Auf Grundlage von Geschäftsdaten, von repräsentativen telefonischen Befragungen und von qualitativen Interviews mit Betroffenen und Fallmanagern wurden die Wirkungen der "Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende" auf Migrant/innen untersucht. Ihr Anteil an allen ALG-II Beziehenden beträgt im bundesweiten Durchschnitt 28 Prozent. Im Vergleich zu denjenigen ohne Migrationshintergrund sind sie im Durchschnitt jünger und haben häufiger keinen, aber auch häufiger höhere (Aus-)Bildungsabschlüsse. Die häufig fehlende Anerkennung ausländischer Abschlüsse wirkt sich auf die Arbeitsmarktchancen ebenso negativ aus wie das Fehlen jeglicher Ausbildung. Migrant/innen erhalten bei den Grundsicherungsstellen im Vergleich zu Deutschen ohne Migrationshintergrund mehr Beratungsgespräche, schließen jedoch seltener Eingliederungsvereinbarungen ab und nehmen seltener an Maßnahmen teil. Einige Herkunftsgruppen werden deutlich häufiger mit Sanktionen belegt, andere Herkunftsgruppen deutlich seltener

Evaluation des Bundesprogramms "Soziale Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt": Erster Zwischenbericht

Das Bundesprogramm "Soziale Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt" zielt auf die Verbesserung der sozialen Teilhabe von arbeitsmarktfernen Langzeitleistungsbeziehenden im SGB II, die entweder mit Kindern in einer Bedarfsgemeinschaft leben und/oder auf Grund von gesundheitlichen Einschränkungen besonderer Förderung bedürfen. Es ist im Jahr 2015 gestartet und läuft bis zum 31.12.2018. Bislang nahmen knapp 10.000 Personen aus 105 Jobcentern an dem Programm teil. Eine Ausweitung des Programms hat zum Jahreswechsel 2016/17 stattgefunden. Der vorliegende Zwischenbericht stellt erste Ergebnisse der programmbegleitenden Evaluation vor.The programme "Social Inclusion in the Labour Market" (Soziale Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt) is a Federal labour market programme aiming to support social inclusion of persons with severe placement obstacles who are long-time receivers of Arbeitslosengeld II (minimum income support). The programme runs from 2015 to 31.12.2018 and focusses on persons who live together with children and/or who need special support due to health limitations. Until now, almost 10,000 persons from 105 Jobcenters participate in this programme. The programme will be extended from January 2017 on. This intermediate report presents first findings from the evaluation research team

SEMIPARAMETRIC MODELING OF AGE-SPECIFIC VARIATIONS IN INCOME RELATED HEALTH INEQUALITIES

A Gini-type concentration index is combined with semiparametric estimation techniques to derive a varying inequality index that works without a priori sample stratification. The new approach is used to investigate the question how income inequalities and income-related gradients in the distribution of health vary across age groups. With health data from the 2005 survey of the German microcensus, it is demonstrated that significant inequalities to the detriment of the deprived evolve in early mid-life and reach their maximum around the age for retirement. Some leveling is found for the elderly. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd