Results from a study on health-related lifestyles of Munich citizens aged between 55 and 65 were compared with an independent data set from Bern. Cluster analysis identified eight health-related behavior patterns in the Munich sample which were also found in the Bern sample. Predictors of health-relevant behavior patterns were analysed via multiple logistic regressions. Most results showed different effects on cluster membership between the two samples. Gender, professional status, social support from friends, and paying attention to regular meals were identified as predictor variables in both samples. Other variables identified as predictors occurred either in only one of the two samples or differed in the direction of their effect.
Data collected by mailed survey and a random sample of 2552 German adults, are analyzed via stepwise regression for the relationship between age and visits to GPs and Specialists. Contrary to common opinion and descriptive analysis the relationship is weak and non-linear. The total effect shows that contacts with GPs do not increase with age much an more. Analysis also shows that effects for both groups of physicians are not only biological but also cohort effects, the latter measured via education. Older people collectively have less education, show consequently 1. worse health and 2. more contacts with GPs than specialists. Results in light of debates about rationing and the cost saving behavior of older people have immediate importance for the policies of health care.
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