One man in five dies before the age of 65.
TOGETHER we can change that.

Health literacy: Services still not meeting men's needs

13/02/15 . Blog

A new study by the International Longevity Centre UK has analysed health information seeking behaviours across Europe and has found men are less likely to consult a GP or nurse. The Men’s Health Forum’s man manuals and Man MOT online chat service provide the solution.

The report published today, titled 'Next Generation Health Consumers' highlights the importance in understanding health information seeking behaviour (HISB). Eat. Drink. Don't diet. Health eating made easy

On gender, the ILC says: “Variations in HISB by gender may have important implications for the take-up of and extent of participation in preventive behaviours. Each gender may require specific approaches by health professionals and health information providers in order to ensure that males and females are equally well targeted and engaged...”

The ILC analysed a sample of 1,958 men and 2,224 women and found that:

  • Men are less likely to visit a doctor or nurse after finding a lump 
  • Men are less likely to visit a doctor or nurse for details on staying healthy
  • Women prefer face-to-face supply channels, such as pharmacists and paid carers
  • Men prefer impersonal health information suppliers such as internet, the television or radio, and phone helplines
  • 12.9% of men say that they would not want to get health information from any of the suggested sources

This report follows the Men’s Health Forum’s Men’s Health Manifesto which calls for tailored health awareness and literacy.

The Men’s Health Forum’s man manuals provide male friendly health information helping to increase the health literacy. Man MOT the Men’s Health Forun’s online chat to a GP service which is a free and confidential online health information service. 

More information:

The Men’s Health Forum need your support

It’s tough for men to ask for help but if you don’t ask when you need it, things generally only get worse. So we’re asking.

In the UK, one man in five dies before the age of 65. If we had health policies and services that better reflected the needs of the whole population, it might not be like that. But it is. Policies and services and indeed men have been like this for a long time and they don’t change overnight just because we want them to.

It’s true that the UK’s men don’t have it bad compared to some other groups. We’re not asking you to ‘feel sorry’ for men or put them first. We’re talking here about something more complicated, something that falls outside the traditional charity fund-raising model of ‘doing something for those less fortunate than ourselves’. That model raises money but it seldom changes much. We’re talking about changing the way we look at the world. There is nothing inevitable about premature male death. Services accessible to all, a population better informed. These would benefit everyone - rich and poor, young and old, male and female - and that’s what we’re campaigning for.

We’re not asking you to look at images of pity, we’re just asking you to look around at the society you live in, at the men you know and at the families with sons, fathers and grandads missing.

Here’s our fund-raising page - please chip in if you can.

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Address
  • The Men's Health Forum
  • 82 Tanner Street
  • London, SE1 3GN

Charity registered in England and Wales (no. 1087375). Company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (no. 4142349).