An intersectional approach to Men's Health (original) (raw)
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Journal of Men's Health, 2011
Gender, the complex of social relations and practices attached to biological sex, is one of the most important socio-cultural factors influencing health and health-related behavior. Although a large body of health research suggests that men with similar social disadvantages as women experience poorer health outcomes in relation to disability, chronic illness, injury rates and mortality, men's health is rarely deconstructed through the lens of gender. The purpose of this article is to increase understanding of the ways in which masculinities intersect with other social determinants of health creating health disparities among men, and to provide direction for masculine affirming health interventions aimed specifically at men. With the goal of promoting the health of men and decreasing health disparities, the authors have developed, within the Canadian context, an innovative theoretical framework for men's health, Health, Illness, Men and Masculinities (HIMM), based on the influence of masculinity throughout the lifecourse. We discuss three main phases of men's lifecourse showing how masculinity intersects with other social determinants of health differently during youth, middle-age and the older years. The HIMM Framework points to the need for research and theory development that moves us beyond a limited focus on any one individual man to consider men's health and illness practices in the larger social context within which masculinity is defined and produced. It can thus advance men's health research and theory development, and provide direction for policy, education, health care delivery and health promotion initiatives aimed specifically at men in many locales, contexts and countries.
The Case for Retaining a Focus on “Masculinities” in Men’s Health Research
International Journal of Men's Health, 2016
Within the health research literature there is increasing attention focussed on how the concept of “masculinities” can be employed to understand health and illness and used to inform health care practice and policy. At the same time, valuable critiques of masculinities frameworks have emphasised that there is often, within the published literature, a lack of rigour in defining and using these ideas, a tendency towards rigid and essentialist notions about men and gender but also recognition that some approaches specify masculinities as the “cause” of poor health outcomes for men, women and children. We consider and respond to these important questions and, using examples from empirical studies, make the case that it is important to advance the use of masculinities in men’s health research both as a means to describing the challenges to men’s health and the strengths men draw upon to promote their health and remedy illness. We argue, first, that masculinities be operationalised as “co...
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., ...
Masculinity, socioeconomic status, and self-reported health among African American men
2021
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of masculinity and socioeconomic status (i.e., income) on the self-reported health of a sample of African American men. Study participants (n = 122) were barbershop patrons from Chicago, Illinois, who ranged in age from 18 to 66. We used logistic regression to assess the relationship between masculinity and self-reported health. Masculinity was measured as the average of responses to a subset of 10 items from the Male Role Norms Inventory and the Male Attitude Norms Inventory II. Self-reported health was measured with a five point Likert scale and dichotomized as excellent versus other health status. Analyses suggested that masculinity, but not socioeconomic status, was positively associated with excellent self-reported health. Such results offer understanding of how masculinity and self-reported health impact health outcomes in African American men.
The Social and Behavioral Foundations of Men's Health—A Public Health Perspective
Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 2006
To paraphrase a landmark book title, Why are Some People Healthy and Others Not? The Determinants of Health of Populations [1], why are some men healthy and others not? The answer to this question is as complex as the definition of health. Health and health status often result from health behavior. Too many men smoke, drink, and overeat; place themselves in risky situations; exercise too little; and seek preventive care infrequently. Too many men of color are dying younger than they should. The challenge for health care providers is to better understand the determinants of men's health and the factors that influence positive and negative health behaviors, and to find ways to effectively modify the social and behavioral factors that influence the health of their male patients.
Measuring masculinity in research on men of color: findings and future directions
Http Dx Doi Org 10 2105 Ajph 2012 300715, 2012
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between masculinity and the health of US men of color aged 18 years and older. We identified 22 population-based studies that included a measure of masculinity and a measure of health behavior, mental health, or physical health. The associations between masculinity and health were complex and varied by construct and health outcome, though they generally were significant in the hypothesized directions. Future research should explore the centrality of masculinity versus other identities and characteristics, how the relationship between masculinity and health varies by health outcome, and the identification of the conceptions and aspects of masculinity that are most relevant to and associated with specific health behaviors and health outcomes. (Am J Public Health. 2012;102:S187-S194. ). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the "Reprints" link.
Journal of American College Health, 2000
Men's health has emerged as an important public concern that may require new kinds of healthcare interventions and increased resources. Considerable uncertainty and confusion surround prevailing understandings of men's health, particularly those generated by media debate and public policy, and health research has often operated on oversimplified assumptions about men and masculinity. A more useful way of understanding men's health is to adopt a gender-relations approach. This means examining health concerns in the context of men's and women's interactions with each other, and their positions in the larger, multidimensional structure of gender relations. Such an approach raises the issue of differences among men, which is a key issue in recent research on masculinity and an important health issue. The gender-relations approach offers new ways o f addressing practical issues of healthcare for men in college environments.