Researchers in the US have confirmed five well established but commonly overlooked facts about suicide in younger men.

The ground-breaking study of children and younger adults (12 to 29 years) focused on suicide deaths of LGBT young people. In the process, the study shed light on suicides among “non-LGBT” males and females.

While prostate cancer detection and treatments have significantly improved survival rates for men (95% after five years) the impact on their sexual and mental health can have serious consequences.

Erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, penile shrinkage, fatigue, lack of desire and changes to body image are some of the key challenges men with prostate cancer experience.

Childhood obesity is a major health issue in modern economies around the world, but many parents are resistant to receiving health warnings about their children’s weight. 

New research from New Zealand has found that while nearly two-thirds of parents would like to be made aware if their children’s weight was putting their health at risk, they would find the news upsetting and worrying.

Men who can knock out 40 push-ups in a row are 96 per cent less likely to develop heart disease than those who can do fewer than 10, according to a Harvard University study.

The study of 1104 active American firefighters based in Indiana over 10 years concluded that push-ups would be a no-cost, fast and simple clinical measure of evaluating functional capacity and cardiovascular disease.

Male-friendly services are kicking goals across Europe, where male football fans turned up for health and lifestyle classes at their favourite clubs.

The 12-week, group-based initiative was speared by EuroFIT, an EU-funded project that harnesses “the love of the game” to engage football fans in health-promoting lifestyle changes through their connection to clubs.

Two roadshows addressing men’s health will touch multiple towns around South Australia in February and March, offering free advice, free food and a safe space to discuss personal stories.

Australian fatherhood experts have called for dads to be included in national efforts to screen new parents for depression.

Screening mothers for mental illness before and after birth is now standard practice in Australia, but the mental health of dads is not routinely assessed at any point. 

This article was compiled by Richard Fletcher, University of Newcastle; Jacqui Macdonald, Deakin University, and Louise Newman, University of Melbourne and is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

England’s National Health Service (NHS) this week announced it will offer mental health screening and treatment for new and expectant fathers whose partners are suffering from mental illness. The NHS described this as a “radical action to support families”, and it certainly is an unusual step.

Health practitioners in Ballarat, Victoria, are working to set up a new health clinic to tackle a range of health and social issues impacting the men in the city.

The male suicide rate in Ballarat is twice the rate of Melbourne and 65 per cent greater than the Victorian average according to an article in The Courier.

Men with a disability should be considered a priority group when it comes to forming policy around suicide prevention, according to a group of researchers and academics at Melbourne University.

Their recommendation comes as a result of a study into male suicide, which showed that those who reported a disability were more likely to have suicidal thoughts than other men.