A Review of Men's Health and Masculinity

Abstract

Men's health is a new and evolving area of specialty that goes beyond men's cancers and sexual activities. Men's health in the 21st century incorporates a broader conceptualization of health, health behaviors, and lifestyle choices. This new focus results from the fact that men continue to lag behind women in life expectancy and in health care use, a situation that is worse for minority men. Understanding how gender socialization and masculine ideology affects men's health is an important step toward providing effective care for men. In this article, the authors review these areas and then discuss each of the top actual causes of death for men: tobacco use, poor diet, alcohol use, and physical inactivity. They then discuss the important issue of steroid use among men. Throughout the review, the authors highlight racial and ethnic differences in health behaviors. Furthermore, they provide empirically supported clinical implications to assist clinicians who see men with health concerns in their practices. Finally, they offer suggestions for creating ways to include men in the health care system in hopes of improving their use.

Aging Men’s Health-Related Behaviors

“…Many men express a strong desire to avoid health care encounters in traditional settings and will participate in health-prevention activities if they are disguised as in comfortable community settings such as barbershops or bars (Garfield et al, 2008;McVittie & Willock, 2006) or if responding to targeted messages that affirm gendered stereotypes (Fleming et al, 2014). In these male-associated community settings, participation in health-promotion programs is okay because they are consistent with masculinity-scripted activities.…”

“…Similarly, health activity that is sports related is acceptable because sports activities are masculineidentified behaviors (Tudiver & Talbot, 1999). Certainly paying attention to one's physical health through exercise or diet to improve sports participation fits within the masculinity framework (Garfield et al, 2008;Thompson et al, 2011). Interestingly, the range of acceptable male behavior connected to physical condition appears to be more limited than the range of acceptable female behavior; if there is a comparable hegemonic femininity framework, few can agree on its structure and composition (Connell, 1987).…”

“…Compared with women, men appear to be at higher risk at younger ages of morbidity and mortality, and it seems that men with the strongest masculinity beliefs are at the highest risk and least likely to engage in preventive health care behaviors (Bird & Rieker, 2008;Garfield, Isacco, & Rogers, 2008;Rieker & Bird, 2005;Springer & Mouzon, 2011). Well-entrenched beliefs about the way men should behave may stand in the way of more effective health-related actions and appropriate care.…”

Energy Drink Use and Its Relationship to Masculinity, Jock Identity, and Fraternity Membership Among Men

“…However, recent research suggests that American men do not fully engage in such prevention efforts. Compared with American women, men engage in fewer preventive health behaviors, consume more alcohol, and use more tobacco products (Garfield, Isacco, & Rogers, 2008). Such findings have elevated the profile of men's health in public health discourse (Addis et al, 2007;Baker, 2001;Bonhomme, 2007).…”

Lifestyle counseling to reduce body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors among truck and bus drivers – a randomized controlled trial

“…Truck drivers are often sedentary in their leisure time, and they consume less fruit and vegetables and more sausages and milk fat than recommended (9)(10)(11). Most professional drivers are males, who tend to be sedentary more often and have poorer diet than women (12).…”