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2mo ago

Study Finds Germans in Western Border Regions Live Shorter Than Neighbors

Researchers attribute persistent cross-border gaps to national health systems, with lifestyle patterns also playing a role.

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In deutschen Grenzregionen ist die Lebenserwartung einer Studie zufolge häufig niedriger als in angrenzenden Regionen in westeuropäischen Nachbarländern. Dies ergab eine Studie des Bundesinstituts für Bevölkerungsforschung in Wiesbaden.
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Overview

  • The Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung published the analysis in the European Journal of Epidemiology, examining mortality across western European border areas.
  • The largest difference appears along the Swiss border, where men on the German side live on average 2.2 years fewer and women 1.4 years fewer than their Swiss counterparts.
  • Notable gaps also emerge for men at the Dutch and Danish borders at about 1.8 years, while for women the biggest differences are versus France at 1.5 years, Switzerland at 1.4, and Denmark at 1.1.
  • The study covered 277 border regions from 1995 to 2019, excluded the pandemic years, and found the differences were often stable or grew over time.
  • Authors point to health-system performance, early detection and treatment, and risk behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use, diet, and activity, noting higher cardiovascular mortality in Germany despite similar local socioeconomic profiles across many borders.