Why Won’t Men Go to the Doctor?

Darren R. Jones, PhD, LPHAP Worksite Wellness Forum

June 19, 2014

Our AgendaA little about meFacts and figuresResearch: What do we know?Interventions: What can I do?Questions and comments

Why Do We Need To Talk About This?

Men have poorer health outcomes than women across all age groups in most Western and some non-Western countries

Findings are robustIn U.S. men have higher mortality rates than

women for the 15 leading causes of death (exception: Alzheimer’s)

Men more likely to suffer from chronic conditions and fatal diseases

(Cordier & Wilson, 2013)

Why Do We Need To Talk About This?

Male suicide rates 4 to 12 times higher than women

Men have higher rates of substance abuseMen have shorter life expectancy (76 vs. 81)Underprivileged men are at even higher riskOnly recognized as issue in past decadeMen 25% less likely to have visited provider

in past yearMen 40% more likely to skip recommended

screenings(American Psychological Association, 2011)

Your Experiences?Have you experienced difficulty engaging

your male employees in health and wellness initiatives?

What have you tried already to increase engagement?

What Do We Know?

What Do We Know? Stereotype: Men don’t like to ask for helpResearch validates this beliefSo why is that?Theory: gender socialization (thoughts and

ideas) What does it mean to be a man?Self-reliance, competitiveness, emotional

control, power over others, aggression May be a barrier to seeking helpMust consider context(Mansfield, Addis, & Mahalik, 2003)

What Do We Know? Gender-role conflict: men’s experience of genderFour patterns have been identifiedPreoccupation with success, power, and competitionRestriction of emotionsRestriction in affectionate behaviorConflict between work and familyConflicts are associated with lower self-esteem, marital

satisfaction, intimacy, and increased anxietyAlso associated with negative attitudes toward help-

seeking

(Mansfield, Addis, & Mahalik, 2003)

What Do We Know?Social construction theory: gender is created in

social situationsViews gender as something that is done (not a trait)Men may deny pain in order to minimize problemMaintains gender stereotypesSteer conversations from “soft emotions” Perceived need to “take pain like a man”Reactions to stress: tend and befriend vs fight or

flight/bottle it up (Mansfield, Addis, & Mahalik, 2003)

The Role of MotivationA major problem for health carePeople do not always act rationallyBut there is no pill for thatUnderstanding and individuals motivation is

key to increasing help seeking behaviorsMotivations may not be obvious What might be common motivations for

seeking help?

What Can We Do? : InterventionsEvents like this! Male-friendly events: sports, etc. Focus on a functional, fix-it view of health careFocus on facts, figures, testsTarget women (motivation)Partner support importantAdvertising/marketing that addresses stigma (Bob Dole) Normalize health care concerns (providers especially)Use of technology to increase access and provide privacy Societal level: culture shift

In conclusionQuestions?

Comments?

Thank you