Research into Local People’s Behaviours

Men and their

Health

By

Ivan Idea

Hugh McKenna

All you need to know to be healthier

UCF

• Experience of researching men’s

health;

• Findings of research on men’s

health;

• Best practice in engaging men

around health issues.

Professor Hugh McKenna, CBE

Dean, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences

Relevant Research Studies

Attitudes to cancer and cancer prevention: what do people aged 35-54 years really think

(UCF, 2007);

The actual and potential role of the GP and Primary Care Nurse in the prevention of cancer

(UCF, 2011)

learning from the experiences of suicidal men aged 16-34 to inform mental health care services (PHARD, 2011);

Users, carers and professionals’ experiences of treatment and care for heroin dependency:

(PHARD, 2011)

Men were less informed about testicular cancer than woman were about breast cancer;

Women could correctly identify more cancer risks and warning signs than men;

There was a significant relationship between attitudes to cancer prevention and gender;

Men are more likely to have negative attitudes towards cancer prevention than women:

• You can get cancer no matter what

preventative measure you take;

• Children should be the group

targeted with cancer prevention

information not adult men.

Relevant Research Studies: Cancer

Unemployment and socioeconomic deprivation were linked to suicide and self harm;

Young men had unrealistic and unhelpful perceptions of being a man in the 21st

century leading to low self esteem and stress;

Young men did not want to show emotions or appear unmanly or vulnerable;

Young men did not want to seek help or advice from:

• Their GP;

• Their teachers;

• Their priests/ministers;

Help is not just a health matter but one for education, sports clubs, the police, and employers;

Role of social networking as a support mechanism.

Relevant Research Studies: Suicide

Young men felt that there was not enough support for them to give up heroin;

Prevention of Heroin addiction is not just a NHS matter but one for education, sports clubs, and employers;

Help was not forthcoming from community leaders such as

•Teachers;

• Priests/ministers;

GP treated them as third class citizens and did not want them on their register or in their waiting rooms.

GPs played no perceived role in prevention of heroin addiction.

Relevant Research Studies: Heroin

Primary care practitioners have a major role in health promotion and disease prevention;

GPs average only 8 minutes for each consultation and that time is spent on dealing with the presenting problem;

The link between ill health and obesity, diet and physical exercise is generally only discussed in the context of the patients’ presenting problems and in relation to clinical complications that may arise in the short-medium term. (The potential to develop cancer in the longer term is invariably outside the remit of the consultation);

Primary care nurses had more time for health promotion and this was a role that should be developed.

Relevant Research Studies: GPs

Men and Health-Common Messages

Male gender is a major issue;

Poorer Socioeconomic status, occupational status, and educational attainment were key determinants in negative attitudes to health promotion;

Social support emerged as a consistently important correlate;

Family support and close loving and concerned significant others are crucial;

Having friends who participated regularly in health promoting activities was motivating;

Men reluctant to seek advice from GPs;

Primary care nurses have a key role;

Health promotion is not just a matter for the NHS;

Social networking rather than leaflets and advertisements.

Dietary advice – eat tape worms!