Sozialmedizin

Our research topics include empirical studies on morbidity and mortality of certain demographic groups and their risk factors using methods from epidemiology and the social sciences. Another focus is on exploring health behavior and preventive measures in the context of social norms. Different areas of research have been established at our institute.

Forschungsschwerpunkt

Epidemiology of aging

This research area is concerned with age-related changes in physical (e.g., chronic disease, functioning, disability, frailty), cognitive (e.g., memory, attention, dementia), and psychological health (e.g., depression, loneliness, life satisfaction, suicidality) in the aging population, especially during the last years of life.

Forschungsschwerpunkt

Social epidemiology—social determinants of health and disease

This research area is concerned above all with the effects of social factors (e.g., education, income, general living and working conditions) on the psychological and physical health of different demographic groups.

Forschungsschwerpunkt

Basic principles of the health society

Basic principles include social norms and values oriented to health and disease. The research area investigates basic principles including age (such as healthy aging) and end of life with regard to cultures of knowledge in social change in order to explore their potentials and limitations for care structures in nursing and medicine.

Forschungsschwerpunkt

Current topics in medical ethics and contemporary medical history

This research area is concerned with current discourses on end-of-life decisions from the perspective of the Austrian population and the analysis of the healthcare system under National Socialism.

TechCareLab

TechCareLab: (New) Technologies in Healthcare

This research area pursues the goal to co-develop, revise and test (new) technologies for healthcare (including nursing) in multidisciplinary collaboration. .