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Robert Williams and Steve Robertson examine how men's preventive health needs can be effectively met in primary care
There is a lot of evidence about the inequalities in health between men and women, but inequalities also exist between different socioeconomic groups of men (White 2004). Primary care nurses and health visitors often experience difficulties in engaging men in public health and health promotion initiatives. For example, research suggests that men are much less likely to visit their GP than women (Office of National Statistics 2003), and shows that men are under-represented in weight management programmes in primary care (Men's Health Forum 2005). This article looks at how men's preventive health needs can be effectively addressed in primary care, and aims to assist nurses and health visitors to creatively, and sensitively target and engage groups of men in health improvement.
Policy context
One of the difficulties nurses and health visitors face when considering men's preventive health needs is the contradictory and inconsistent policy context we work within. The Choosing Health (DH 2004) strategy for health promotion recognises the importance of behaviour, lifestyle and choice for the health of men and women, but includes no real strategic intention to improve gender sensitivity in health care.
Similarly, although Our Health, Our Care, Our Say (DH 2006) advocates the development of life checks (MOTs) and online health questionnaires, which might engage some men, it lacks insight into the gendered health experiences of differing groups of men. The National Standards, Local Action (DH 2004b) document does, however, advise primary care trusts to take gender into account in planning and service delivery, and the Equality Bill (Great Britain Parliament House of Commons 2005), which is likely to become law in 2007, will introduce a 'gender duty'.
This duty will make it an explicit responsibility of public sector organisations in England, Scotland and Wales to take proactive steps to positively promote gender equality for men and women, rather than just reactively seeking to avoid unlawful discrimination.
Problems associated with a 'narrow view' of men's health
The development of a 'gender duty' ironically throws narrow assumptions about men's health into sharp relief.
The considerable epidemiological evidence of men's morbidity and mortality (Kirby et al 1999, White 2004) only provides a narrow biomedical...