Today, an altered lifestyle may enhance the incidence of lifestyle related disorders, e.g. obesity. The health consequences of obesity range from increased risk for premature death, particularly from cardiovascular diseases and various forms of cancer to several non-communicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus type 2, allergies, psychosocial, muscle and skeletal disorders.
Due to demographic changes, the public health concern of lifestyle related diseases is so serious that augmented efforts for the identification of risk factors are needed.
To enhance the knowledge of health effects of a changing social environment and lifestyle is the goal of the Unit Lifestyle Related Disorders.The unit investigates in causes of a wide spectrum of lifestyle related disorders and preliminary phases applying epidemiological methods. Important lifestyle parameters here are: eating-behaviour, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, media consumption and stress. Not only behaviour but also general living conditions are brought into focus: socioeconomic parameters like income and education. Additionally, physiological and biological parameters and biological markers, e.g. blood, urine and feces, collected by the Unit Field Work are examined.
One main research focus within the unit is the evaluation of multifactorial mechanisms and analysis of complex cause-and-effect chains of lifestyle related diseases. In order to evaluate aetiological factors and expositions, the Unit Lifestyle Related Disorders develops and provides suitable methods and instruments.
The catalogue of methods covers classical questionnaire instruments which are complemented by methods of anthropometric measurement, of dietary assessment and food preferences, of physical activity, psychosocial well-being and finally the collection, logistics and storage of biological samples.
We closely collaborate with the Unit Work and Environment to investigate socioeconomic risk factors and expositions (e.g. definition of the social status by occupational level). Identified risk factors and likewise protective factors enable the Unit Intervention and Implementation the development of innovative and sustainable intervention and prevention strategies. To assure the efficiency and sustainability of health promotion programs the unit is in close cooperation with the Department Prevention and Evaluation in order to prepare quantitative methods for evaluating intervention effects.
National and international data of the projects are analysed in cooperation with the Unit Statistical Methods in Epidemiology and the Unit IT, Data Management and Medical Documentation which provide the possibility to validate new instruments, procedures and models as well as to define new standards and references. The Unit Lifestyle Related Diseases contribute with their interdisciplinary collaborations and qualifications (epidemiology, nutritional science, biology, social and behavioural science) statistical evidence for research, policy, and society.
Only currently running projects or those that ended less than a year ago will be shown. The entries are sorted alphabetically.