Movember report highlights the impact of poor men’s health on everyone
Movember's newly created Institute of Men’s Health has released a comprehensive report called ‘The Real Face of Men’s Health’ which focuses on the impact of gender on health.
The 2024 report demonstrates health inequities among men and the impact that men’s poor health has on others, including women.
“This report outlines the state of men’s health across Australia and makes clear the benefits that would ripple through families, communities and societies if we improved men’s health – including billions in savings by preventing avoidable conditions in men and supporting them to live healthier, longer lives,” says Movember in the opening pages of the report.
“An investment in men’s health is an investment in the wellbeing and safety of women, families and communities.”
The report begins with some sobering facts:
- 2 in 5 men living in Australia (37%) die prematurely before they are 75 years old. Most of these deaths are preventable
- Suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 15-44 and is the second leading cause of death of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men
- 67% of men reported want to leave their healthcare practitioner due to a lack of personal connection
- 60% of men wait more than 7 days with symptoms before visiting the doctor
- 36% experience gender bias from their healthcare practitioner
- 31% find health information confusing and overwhelming
Movember polled 1658 men on their experiences of health and healthcare, highlighted in the report as a reason why men in Australia have poor health outcomes.
Where males live has a significant impact on how long they live, as does their ethnicity.
For example:
- 77% of African Australian men feel that gender stereotypes affect their behaviours and healthcare experiences
- 61% of Asian Australians are less likely to have received a diagnosis for a condition or been prescribed medication(s) for their condition than White men (75%)
- 50% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men polled experienced their healthcare practitioner displayed bias towards them as a man
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According to research commissioned for the report, Australia spent approximately $10.7 billion in 2023 on avoidable cases of five conditions that cause the most years of life lost in men, namely coronary heart disease, lung cancer, self-harm/suicide, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke.
“While it is not realistic to avoid all preventable diseases, our new research indicates the scale and significance of the costs that could be saved through preventative interventions to target these five conditions in men.”
The report highlights examples from Australia and abroad of programs and services that effectively engage men in healthcare, identifying critical elements that make them so effective.
These include:
- The power of sport and the opportunity of workplace initiatives to reach men in health promotion programs.
- A responsive health system, including services, screenings and checks designed with men in mind.
- Upskilling the health workers to effectively engage with men in care.
- Research that works to build, evaluate and translate evidence into practice to reach and benefit all men.
While Australia has done better than many countries in developing men’s health strategies, Movember’s report says, in reality, “the lack of dedicated and consistent funding to deliver on the goals of the men’s health strategies and initiatives, has resulted in very little tangible impact on advancing the health outcomes of men”.
“What we need now is to bring health to all men and all men to health.”
Movember calls for budget investment to successfully operationalise Australian’s National Men’s Health Strategy 2020-2030 and “support sustainable translation of what we know works into practice so that its desired outcomes can be achieved – particularly for priority populations of men.”
The report provides details of how investment could be allocated, including $7million into expanding Movember’s Ahead of the Game pilot beyond the AFL into priority sports such as soccer.
The report presents a comprehensive picture of the challenges and poor experiences men have when they engage with healthcare, and goes on to describe the “profound impact on those closest to them and the broader impact of men’s poor health on the economy.”
“It goes without saying that if men have positive healthcare experiences, they are more empowered to care for themselves, which then enables them to care for others. “
For example, a man’s physical or mental health across his reproductive life impacts pregnancy outcomes of a partner.
A father’s dietary preferences influence his children’s eating habits. A dad’s mental health impacts the behavioural and emotional health of his kids. Excessive substance abuse or gambling can damage a family’s finances, or contribute to violence among partners.
The flow-on effect across health choices are plentiful, and include the profound impact a man’s death has on those around him. Death by suicide is said to impact on average 135 people directly, and 75% of deaths by suicide are male.
The report also highlights the experiences of 1657 caregivers of men in Australia, which shows just how all-consuming care giving is.
Movember’s report calls out community-based programs, podcasts and health promotion campaigns that have positively impacted men and boys in Australia and overseas including Mates in Construction, Silence is Deadly, Dads Tuning into Kids, Men’s Sheds, 7 Men’s Podcasts in Australia, The Movember Campaign, International Men’s Health Week and two initiatives developed by the Australian Men’s Health Forum: Doing it Tough? (in partnership with Suicide Prevention Australia), and the Know Your Man Facts campaign.
It names male-friendly and male-specific services, such as the Bendigo Men’s Health Clinic, and culturally responsive services like Dardi Munwurro, The Glen and Deadly Choices.
DOWNLOAD THE REAL FACE OF MEN’S HEALTH
*Movember’s Institute of Men’s Health launched in 2023, uniting global experts in the field of men’s health with the aim of accelerating research and translating it into tangible outcomes. The Movember Insitute of Men’s Health aims to combat preventable risk factors that contribute to 77% of male deaths and 54% of healthy years lost.