Material deprivation and health among women and men in Germany. Results from the German Socioeconomic Panel 2011

A number of studies have shown that socioeconomic status is associated with health. This study aims to analyze the role of material deprivation in physical and psychological health. Analyzes are based on the German Socioeconomic Panel (GSOEP) of 2011. Health was indicated by various indicators (sleep disorder, diabetes, asthma, heart diseases, cancer, migraine, high blood pressure, depressive diseases, joint disorders, chronic back complaint). A person will be denoted as materially deprived if three or more out of eleven living standard items are missing due to financial reasons. To calculate the association between material deprivation and indicators of health, logistic regression models were applied adjusted for sociodemographic and socioeconomic indicators. In 2011, significant associations between material deprivation and several indicators of health were observed. For men, material deprivation was significantly (P < 0.001) associated with migraine and sleep disorder after adjusting for sociodemographic and socioeconomic indicators. For women, inequalities in health were larger and highly significant (P < 0.001) for sleep disorder, migraine, depressive diseases, chronic back complaint, asthma and joint disorders. Results indicate an independent and gender specific association of material wealth with several indicators of health. Material deprivation might therefore be used as a complementary measure of socioeconomic status in the description and explanation of inequalities in health.