#### Background:<br />
Behavioural and community level prevention approaches are used in strategies to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases. Behavioural prevention is criticised for contributing to the prevention dilemma, i.e. these programmes reach groups with the greatest need badly and thus further increase health inequalities. In this context, the dissertation examines the use of prevention with representative data for Germany on the question which factors influence the use of behavioural prevention in adults and takes into account the use of bonus programmes of the statutory health insurance funds.
#### Methods: <br />
Based on the ‘Behavioural Model of Health Care Use’ (Andersen 1995), (1) predisposing factors such as gender, age and education or social status, (2) enabling factors such as type of health insurance and (3) need factors such as health behaviour and health status were analysed. The data basis comprised the ‘German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults’ (DEGS1), the ‘German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998’ (GNHIES98) and the study ‘German Health Update’ from 2009 (GEDA 2009). Bivariate analyses were used to calculate relative frequencies with 95% confidence intervals and logistic regression models and estimated odds ratios to calculate group differences.
#### Results:<br />
The analyses showed that the factors gender, age and social status or educational level influenced the use of behavioural prevention. The type of health insurance and the types of statutory health insurance as well as medical counselling on health behaviour, but also health behaviour and health status were associated with the use. Age and education, health consciousness and the use of a general practitioner and health behaviour were important factors for participation in a bonus programme.
#### Discussion and conclusion:<br />
The results on the predisposing, enabling and need factors of behavioural prevention support the vertical and horizontal inequality in the use of behavioural prevention and the demand to give priority to community level prevention. Behavioural prevention should primarily be integrated into community level prevention and multi-level approaches.<br />
Monitoring the use of prevention at the population level together with its influencing
factors can make an important contribution to understanding the complex interactions and
to the evaluation of various prevention strategies.