The Social and Behavioral Foundations of Men's Health—A Public Health Perspective (original) (raw)

Promoting Men's Health: Addressing Barriers to Healthy Lifestyle and Preventive Health Care

2004

The workshop upon which this report is based drew prominent behavioral and social researchers in men's health and related fields together to develop a consensus about men's health care needs and the ways society and our culture create barriers to the development of healthy lifestyles. It examines the sources of denial and how it and related attitudes can be changed, and develops recommendations to address clinical practice, intervention, communications, and policy issues related to men's health. Identifies gender as a significant factor influencing public health

A Community-Level Assessment of Barriers to Preventive Health Behaviors Among Culturally Diverse Men

American journal of men's health, 2015

There are significant gender disparities in health outcomes and health care utilization in the United States, with men experiencing more of these disparities. It is critical to ascertain the interplay between societal conditions, health behaviors, and access to services and the impact of these factors on health outcomes and utilization of health care. The present study is part of a larger initiative titled, The Men's Health Study: Addressing Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors, which has two purposes-to annually assess the motivators of and barriers to health-promoting behaviors among culturally diverse men attending the Men's Health Forum (MHF) and to use this information to develop an intervention program that facilitates healthy lifestyle behaviors among men. The MHF is a community-driven initiative for medically underserved men in Tampa, Florida that offers free health screenings and wellness exhibitors in order to empower men to lead a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this art...

Predicting health behaviors in young men that put them at risk for heart disease

Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 2011

There were 161 young adult men who completed measures assessing their health beliefs, masculinity, perceptions of the normativeness of health behaviors in other men, and heart healthy behaviors (i.e., diet, exercise, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, and medical screenings). Men's heart-healthy behaviors were predicted by beliefs of benefits to healthy behavior, barriers, health knowledge, normativeness of men's health-promoting behavior, and interaction between masculinity and barriers. The discussion addresses how the Health Belief model applied to men's heart healthy behaviors may be enhanced through greater consideration of sociocontextual variables such as gender role conformity and social norms. The authors suggest that future research might address multimodal interventions aimed at improving men's heart health that address both beliefs and men's social context.

Introduction to Social Determinants of Health among African-American Men

Social Determinants of Health among African American Men (Chapter 1), 2012

This chapter is an introduction to the social determinants of health among African-American men, and lays the foundation for the book. It starts by presenting an overview of the serious health inequities affecting African- American men, and then describes why this volume is needed. Next, it considers the social determinants of health among African-American men in relation to health status, health behavior, and health care, subdividing this concept into three interrelated components—the social determinants of health status, the social determinants of health behavior, and the social determinants of health care. Finally, suggestions are offered for addressing these socially determined health inequities affecting African-American men. These consist of recommendations for research and programs that address the social determinants of health among African-American men, social policies that tackle social and environmental issues affecting African-American men’s health, and health policies that promote health equity among this and other vulnerable populations.

Chapter 1 THEORISING MASCULINITY AND MEN ’ S HEALTH

2008

Men in the United States, on average, die more than 5 years younger than women (Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 2007). For all 15 leading causes of death, except Alzheimer’s disease, and in every age group, men and boys have higher death rates than women and girls (Courtenay, 2003). Men’s age-adjusted death rate for heart disease and cancer are both 1.5 times higher than women’s (DHHS, 2007). Men are also more likely than women to suffer severe chronic conditions and fatal diseases (Verbrugge & Wingard, 1987), and to suffer them at an earlier age. Nearly three out of four persons who die from heart attacks before age 65 are men (American Heart Association, 1995). Similar patterns in morbidity and mortality have been observed in the UK, Canada and Australia (see Courtenay, 2002; and Chapters 3, 6 and 9). A variety of factors infl uence and are associated with health and longevity, including economic status, ethnicity, and access to care (Laveist, 1993; Pappas et al., ...

Peer Positive Social Control and Men’s Health-Promoting Behaviors

American Journal of Men’s Health, 2017

Men are generally thought to be less inclined to take care of their health. To date, most studies about men’s health have focused on deficits in self-care and difficulties in dealing with this sphere of their life. The present study reframes this perspective, using a salutogenic strengths-based approach and seeking to identify variables that influence men to take care of their health, rather than neglect it. This study focuses on the association between peer positive social control and men’s health behaviors, while controlling for other important individual and social determinants (sociodemographic characteristics, health self-efficacy, home neighborhood, spousal positive social control, and the restrictive emotionality norm). In a mixed-method study, 669 men answered a self-reported questionnaire, and interviews were conducted with a maximum variation sample of 31 men. Quantitative results indicated that, even after controlling for sociodemographic variables and other important factors, peer positive social control was significantly associated with the six health behaviors measured in the study (health responsibility, nutrition, physical activity, interpersonal relations, stress management, and spirituality). Interview results revealed that peer positive social control influenced men’s health behaviors through three different mechanisms: shared activity, being inspired, and serving as a positive role model for others. In summary, friends and coworkers could play a significant role in promoting various health behaviors among adult men in their daily life. Encouraging men to socialize and discuss health, and capitalizing on healthy men as role models appear to be effective ways to influence health behavior adoption among this specific population.