Spatial Distribution of COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Associated Risk Factors in Health Insurance Data Using Bayesian Spatial Modelling

Boris Kauhl, Jörg König and Sandra Wolf ()
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Boris Kauhl: AOK Nordost—Die Gesundheitskasse, Brandenburger Str. 72, 14467 Potsdam, Germany
Jörg König: AOK Nordost—Die Gesundheitskasse, Brandenburger Str. 72, 14467 Potsdam, Germany
Sandra Wolf: Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-10

Abstract: The onset of COVID-19 across the world has elevated interest in geographic information systems (GIS) for pandemic management. In Germany, however, most spatial analyses remain at the relatively coarse level of counties. In this study, we explored the spatial distribution of COVID-19 hospitalizations in health insurance data of the AOK Nordost health insurance. Additionally, we explored sociodemographic and pre-existing medical conditions associated with hospitalizations for COVID-19. Our results clearly show strong spatial dynamics of COVID-19 hospitalizations. The main risk factors for hospitalization were male sex, being unemployed, foreign citizenship, and living in a nursing home. The main pre-existing diseases associated with hospitalization were certain infectious and parasitic diseases, diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs, endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, diseases of the nervous system, diseases of the circulatory system, diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the genitourinary and symptoms, and signs and findings not classified elsewhere.

Keywords: COVID-19; GIS; health insurance; Bayesian spatial modelling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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