The personal and community impact of a Scottish Men's Shed

Abstract

Social isolation and loneliness are known to be associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, reducing social isolation and loneliness may improve such outcomes. In relation to men's health, "Men's Sheds" have been shown as one mechanism to achieve this. Studies in Australia and England have shown social, health and personal benefits; however, this remains an area that has not yet been researched in Scotland. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the characteristics of attendees, self-reported motivations for and the values and benefits of attending the Shed from the views of the attendees themselves. The participants of the study were the members of a Men's Shed in the North of Scotland, which was initially set-up by a small number of core Shedders. A convenience sample was recruited by opportunistic interviewing of participants when they attended the Shed using a mixed methods approach from 1 to 15 November 2016. In the absence of a validated questionnaire, a bespoke questionnaire was developed in several iterative stages. The answers to the questionnaire were transferred to an electronic database and analysed by frequency and thematic analysis. The participants (n = 31) had a mean age (SD) of 69.7 ± 9.5 with 96.8% being retired, thus the majority of the Shed users were older and retired. The results suggest that there were several benefits from attending the Shed, with an overwhelming majority of the sample reporting personal, social and health benefits-however, more research is needed to determine the magnitude of these. This study has also shown that the men attending the Shed frequently discussed health, which could potentially have a beneficial effect. The Shed therefore, as a community project, has the potential to have a positive impact on health welfare by focusing on the social aspects of life.

Men’s sheds as an alternative healthcare route? A qualitative study of the impact of Men’s sheds on user’s health improvement behaviours

“…Sheds are operating across varied contexts, both geographically and demographically, and with the existence of Sheds that work both independently of and in partnership with the state. Although Scottish policy documents recognise Sheds' potential to tackle social isolation and loneliness [31], research on the wider health benefits of Sheds in this context is lacking with only a handful of studies in existence in the UK [32,33].…”

The Role of Community-Based Men’s Sheds in Health Promotion for Older Men: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

“…They are usually set up in communal spaces where men can get together to engage in joint activities and work on meaningful projects (Australian Men’s Shed Association, n.d.). The general conditions and the range of activities vary from shed to shed; however, woodwork and metalwork—often for social and charitable purposes—are very common ( Ford et al, 2015 ; Foster et al, 2018 ). The main objectives of Men’s Sheds are to improve the member’s health and well-being (Australian Men’s Shed Association, n.d.).…”

Viewpoint: the role of cancer resource center services on men's health

“…Indeed, El-Manstrly and Rosenbaum (2018) suggest that healing environments for men with cancer should differ in terms of color, furniture, and design aesthetics from those used to appeal to their female counterparts. Furthermore, although the Men's Shed initiative shows the extent to which men with cancer may improve their health by engaging in artistic or manual activities (Foster et al, 2018), this research reveals that cancer resource centers that bring men with common ailments together may also promote their well-being in more traditional support settings.…”