[Health related self-help groups--participation and information level in Germany. Results of the German telephone health survey 2003].

Using the data provided by the German Telephone Health Survey 2003 that gathered health related information from 8,318 adult residents, statements concerning the participation in health related self-help groups and the level of information about self-help groups were analysed. According to the survey 8.9 % of sample have already participated in a health related self-help group, 13 % stated to be informed about this topic but have not taken part in such a group. Women are more often informed about self-help groups and have more frequently reported on participation experience than men. In comparison the level of information and participation in former East Germany is slightly smaller than in West Germany. Further, the frequency of participation experience reported as well as the level of information increased with socioeconomic status; the differences between the social stratums were smaller for participation level than for information level. People reporting to suffer from chronic health conditions or to have severe handicaps, stated approximately twice as often to be informed about self-help groups as people who did not so. Compared to estimates for the beginning of the eighties the results indicate an increased part of German population stating experiences with health related self-help groups. Especially persons affected by chronic illnesses and severe handicaps reported to be or have been active in self-help groups. However, apparently a considerable unused self-help potential still exists.