Men's Health Report 2000- SUMMARY

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Since the MAN Model was first introduced four years ago, over 8,500 men have participated in Mens' Health Nights throughout Victoria, southern New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. This has also led to an upsurge in other programs addressing men's health. Men have attended in extraordinary numbers to these information sessions indicating that they are interested in their own health and that they want the opportunity to discuss their concerns in culturally relevant ways. This report contains data compiled from the responses of 5,500 men from these studies.

Despite the efforts of the health care industry to raise Mens' awareness and participation in attending to their own health needs, men continue to be very poor consumers of health care services. Also, men are still at a higher risk of dying and becoming disabled at an early age than their age matched female counterparts. Many public health programs have been available for many years, yet it appears that men will continue to undertake "risky behaviour" despite many efforts to dissuade them.

What has been desperately needed is an approach that will be attractive and useful for MEN rather than the general community, women or families. It appears men have not responded to many public health campaigns because they regarded them as irrelevant. Men believe that Community Health Centres are more targeted to the needs of women and families and that the GP, Medical Specialist and Hospital are the more appropriate health care services for their needs. We need to educate men that there are many more facilities available to them including Community Health Centres, Neighbourhood Houses, etc.

Men need to learn about themselves, which includes those risk factors that can impact on their mortality and morbidity status. Data presented in this report clearly indicates willingness by men to learn about their health when they are given the opportunity. Regardless of the venue, time, speakers; whether they are farmers, professionals, young, old, indigenous or unemployed; if the men live in the suburbs or out the 'back of Bourke'; the approach of the MAN Model is culturally relevant to men and they come to listen, talk and learn. Men's health is important to men in the community and the workplace, we just need to give them a safe place to talk and to encourage them to take responsibility for their health. Women have not been excluded in this process and it is well recognized that women want their men to live longer and happier lives. Women who have been involved in the MAN Model have embraced the opportunity it has provided their men and families.

Finally, men typically go to the GP or Hospital when they have symptoms, rather than practising preventative health care. The MAN Model has developed a pathway for the education and empowerment of men to deal with their health needs preventatively rather than reactively. We all know that prevention is better than cure, but men, in general and in particular in rural communities, have not received this message. If we can get men to reduce risky behaviour patterns, seek regular check ups and adopt healthy lifestyle practices, we will have gone a long way to reducing their mortality rate and provided a pathway for men to enjoy a happy, healthy and long life.

It is hoped that the information contained in this report stimulates thought, discussion and activity by members of the community. Only with the implementation of working models and the development of policy to encourage their development can we begin to redress the disparity in mortality and morbidity statistics of men in Australia with the rest of their community.