Building Men's Health Literacy
The Men’s Health Connected online gathering is putting male health literacy and men’s health promotion on the agenda with a day-long event called 'Building Men’s Health Literacy.'
Many of the speakers taking part will feature in a virtual issue of the Health Promotion Journal of Australia on the theme "Strengthening Men’s Health Promotion in Australia" that will be published to coincide with the event.
Held on Tuesday 11 May, the free event starts with a session chaired by Professor James Smith who has spearheaded the launch of the new Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing in Darwin.
Professor Smith will lead a panel discussion on the topic “What is men’s health literacy and why does it matter?"
He will be joined by Professor John Oliffe, lead author of a number of papers focusing on male health literacy and men’s health promotion in Canada and internationally.
Dr Brendan Quinn of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, will bring an Australian perspective by sharing the findings of the longitudinal Ten to Men study.
Also on the panel is Professor Leigh Kinsman, who led a project to engage “hard-to-reach” men in Tasmania in health promotion using the OPHELIA principles.
Finally, Dr Amie Steel, will share insights from her research into modifiable preconception health literacy in men and women.
Session two will look at specific initiatives to engage men in programs that target specific health issues. Natalie Raffoul, Manager of Risk Reduction at the Heart Foundation, will share data and insights into men’s risk of heart disease and their engagement in Medicare-funded heart health checks.
Lisa Murphy, Executive Director of Stroke Services with the Stroke Foundation, will share insights into men’s risk of stroke and the success of national blood pressure check campaigns at reaching men.
Taking a more targeted approach, Dr Claire Seaman and Brent Smith, will present their research into an initiative to reach at‐risk rural men at a large agricultural event.
The afternoon sessions place a greater focus on health promotion initiatives designed with men in mind.
Associate Professor Joanne Porter, from Federation University’s School of Health, has evaluated a range of health programs that specifically target men and will provide the findings of some of her research.
Dr Neha Swami will provide a detailed exploration of the Ten to Men Study’s findings of Australian men’s health literacy and health service use.
Dr Rebecca McGowan, a general practitioner with a passion for improving men’s health, provides an update on the Wavelength Men program that targets men at work.
To final session of the day explores the potential of health programs that target men through sport.
Tim Budden of UWA Sport’s MAN v FAT Program, will share his experiences of helping overweight and obese men to improve their health through an innovative five-a-side soccer league.
He is joined by Associate Professor Eleanor Quested of Curtin University School of Population Health who will provide an update on the 12-week Aussie-FIT program that predominantly targets men who are AFL fans.
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