Having regular check-ups and tests can help you stay healthy by identifying potential health concerns and warning signs that require intervention. Regular health monitoring aims to detect diseases and identify risky habits before they escalate into serious medical problems. However, men around the world are often uninterested in consulting health professionals about precautionary health services, as they would rather report an injury or illness once it becomes unbearable. The average life expectancy of men is almost six years shorter than that of women, and men are much more likely to be affected by a wide range of major health issues. Regular health exams and a healthy lifestyle can aid in the prevention of these issues as well as reduce the impact they may have on a person’s lifespan. Internationally, there is a push to make healthcare more accessible, as men are proportionally less willing to spend time and money on precautionary services. Researchers have concluded that ensuring men have routine health check-ups will help them learn more about their health, illnesses, current and immediate health problems, and the benefits of preventive care can motivate them to seek advice if they have symptoms or are worried about their health.
One way men can become more involved in this aspect of their health is by educating themselves about health checks, the benefits of having them, and what can be assessed at various ages. Unfortunately, certain factors prevent men from looking after their health. Despite a significant increase in the occurrence of heart diseases and leaving many older people alone, men are substantially less likely to take advantage of benefits such as disability pensions or productivity benefits compared to women. For young men, risky health behaviors are a key factor that increases morbidity and youthful deaths. While the pursuit of conventional treatment for male health conditions is needed, addressing these individuals’ unique health requirements has not received mainstream publicity.
Understanding the Benefits of Health Check-Ups
Regular health check-ups are essential for men in order to detect health-related problems at an early stage, when they are still treatable. Since men are less likely to seek medical attention, regular health check-ups can help engage them with the healthcare system and ensure that they are healthy. Regular check-ups also provide a foundation for effective management of risk factors responsible for developing chronic diseases. Detection and treatment of these risk factors are vital for maintaining a good quality of life. Conditions that are left undiagnosed may go untreated, progress, and may make treatment more problematic. Managing such issues at a later stage might affect daily routine and increase the chances of having complications. Regular check-ups can also provide additional tools to increase awareness about health conditions. Mental health issues may be picked up early during a regular visit to a healthcare provider. A regular visit will allow time to explore the concerns of an individual in more depth. Regular visits will help in establishing a relationship with a healthcare provider. Preventive care is also cost-effective in terms of healthcare costs. When screening detects the development of a disease, treatment is more effective and thus cheaper than if the disease was detected late at a more advanced stage. Regular visits can also offer encouragement for a healthy lifestyle and provide an opportunity for discussion on healthy and unhealthy behavior. A healthcare provider can help modify your lifestyle habits as appropriate. Subsequently, results achieved from the check-ups can translate into a healthier lifestyle.
Common Health Issues in Men
As a demographic, men often face healthcare issues that other populations do not. Chief among these are chronic conditions: heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. These diseases are responsible for many premature deaths; men are commonly affected. Regular medical check-ups allow healthcare professionals to monitor these and other issues. Overall, men are more likely to engage in occupational toxicity. Such anxiety over employment can lead to depression and alcohol abuse. These are additional complications that may be caught during routine physical examinations. Chronic healthcare conditions are not the only problems men face. In the American healthcare system, men are more likely than women to die at younger ages from factors they have control over: metabolic issues and accidental injuries. One explanation for this is that men are also less likely to visit the doctor than women. This might be due to the stigmatization of mental illness. Men are less likely to seek mental healthcare. Other morbidities that primarily affect the male population include prostate and testicular cancer. The good news about prostate and testicular cancer is that there is a relatively good five-year survival rate associated with a Stage 1 diagnosis and taking early steps to mitigate the spread of the disease. Testicular self-examination can detect testicular cancer, and regular check-ups can catch prostate cancer in its early stages. In addition to adhering to their screening schedule, men experience lifestyle-based determinants that affect their physical and mental health. Improving diet, losing weight, and increasing exercise can have a significant effect on the control of chronic healthcare issues. Additionally, exercise has been proven to improve sleep quality. Poor sleep deprivation is associated with greater appetites and often leads to increased consumption of low-nutrient, nutrient-dense foods. Limiting smoking and alcohol use can help as well, particularly when it comes to chronic diseases. Finally, there is a possibility that you or your family might be genetically predisposed to chronic health issues like diabetes and hypertension, to name only a few. If this is the case, more frequent check-ups may be needed.
Barriers to Men Seeking Regular Check-Ups
Studies suggest that men as a group tend to delay seeking routine preventive medical care. A survey of nearly 400 men found that almost 70% avoid seeing a doctor as long as possible, and 32% waited as long as possible or never saw a doctor at all unless they were extremely sick. There are a number of barriers to men seeking regular check-ups. Men may think a yearly exam is unnecessary due to their good health or may have more immediate concerns, such as time spent working or caring for their families. Because this is the primary role of many men, preventive health screenings are considered to be a low priority.
One possible barrier to routine check-ups for men is traditional views of masculinity. These views equate health with weakness and vulnerability. Gender socialization plays a major role in this issue. In American culture, boys and girls are socialized to value different qualities. A male is taught to be strong, rugged, and tough. Therefore, men are less likely to report pain or seek treatment unless they perceive the problem to be very serious. Other barriers could include being short on time, being unaware of the benefits of preventive healthcare, and misunderstanding healthcare services. In fact, a “manly” man is one who does not get sick, does not visit physicians, and does not seek preventive health services. Men might perceive their physicians as having the same attitudes they do, being tough and mostly unaffected by life’s accidents.
Another major factor in seeking preventive healthcare is finances. For many men, a choice must be made between possibly missing a day of pay and seeing a physician. Non-elderly men are more likely than non-elderly women to be uninsured. A study of nearly 500 white and African American middle-aged and older men showed that a higher amount of money spent out of pocket for deductible expenses was associated with significantly lower use of preventive care services for both races. This is a significant factor because men with low insurance deductibles are more likely to seek preventive care such as physical exams and health screenings. There is also a social influence in avoiding seeing a physician. Among untreated hypertensive men, one third stated that friends and family discouraged them from seeking attention. The advice of co-workers and friends could also affect the way physicians approach men’s health. The study participants believed they should receive advice more often from their physicians about exercise, diet, disease prevention, and the use of vitamins and supplements. The results underscore the need for creative approaches to overcome these barriers, including education campaigns that use effective and culturally sensitive messages. The best possible situation will be reached if all of these barriers are addressed, which is just one step closer to increasing health-seeking behavior in men.
Strategies to Encourage Men to Prioritize Health Check-Ups
Men may be resistant to going to their GP for general check-ups for a number of reasons. These could include low awareness of health services, fear about finding out they have a serious condition, or reluctance to seem vulnerable. Initiatives aimed at increasing attendance rates for health check-ups should take these reasons into account. Campaigns aimed at educating men about the importance of health check-ups need to be run on a frequent basis to increase awareness and understanding of services available. These should engage with men’s attitudes and priorities and be planned so that they are seen by men and are relevant to them. Evidence shows that highlighting male role models who are active in taking care of their health can be effective in getting messages across to men and challenging masculine norms about vulnerability. Community-based health programs and clinics should make it easy for men to attend and be affordable, with services promoted as being designed for men. These could include drop-in clinics, long opening hours, and clinics in local pubs, shopping centers, or gyms. Employers have a key role to play in encouraging men to take better care of their health generally and arrange for health assessments. In addition, men living in socially disadvantaged areas and those involved in male-dominated environments, such as men living in rural, remote, and isolated areas, men working in agriculture and construction, may find accessing these services and health promotion programs challenging and a barrier to receiving regular health checks. These initiatives also need to appeal to men in ways that are meaningful to them. Thus, for infrastructure and workplace programs, the availability of the services should be widely promoted to the local population and made as convenient to access as possible. This can be carried out by promoting men’s sheds and engaging local businesses to host a men’s health check at work events. For any population-based strategies and workplace programs, the initiative must be accompanied by meaningful health education that resonates with men and is useful for their health concerns. Health psychologists suggest normalizing health concerns for men and addressing privacy in the form of confidentiality and respect for the privacy of any screenings. A ‘healthy blokes’ and ‘good health is manly’ type of normalizing language that engages with men’s disclosure of concerns in a meaningful way could also be beneficial. A focus of these health education initiatives should be ‘fit for work’ language, ‘work is important to us as men because it gives us a sense of purpose through work.’ Supporting these initiatives by facilitating men’s conversations about their health in a range of community and work-based settings, such as on a farm or at a fishing competition, could further support reducing the influence of the masculine norms that work against engaging with health professionals.