LATEST NEWS
International Men’s Health Week
Men have a higher death rate than women and therefore we encourage all Fit & Healthy male clients to read this article and even discuss it over a coffee break – let’s change these statistics. The Australian Bureau of Statistics ‘Mortality Atlas Australia’ (December 2002) shows that the death rate from the main causes of death is generally higher for men than women.
The average death rate per 100,000 persons (1997-2000) includes:
• Malignant (cancerous) tumours - 237.8 males compared to 146.7 females
• Cerebrovascular diseases (strokes etc) - 65.9 males compared to 65.8 females
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases (lung problems)- 46.6 males compared to 23.2 females
• Accidents - 35.6 males compared to 17.7 females
• Suicide - 21.9 males compared to 5.5 females
• Diabetes mellitus - 18.8 males compared to 13.6 females
• Influenza and pneumonia - 13.6 males compared to 11.4 females
• Motor vehicle traffic accidents - 13.1 males compared to 5.5 females
• Mental disorders (including dementia) - 9.3 males compared to 10.8 females.
Range of theories:
It is clear that women are healthier than men, but why this is so is not clear. Some of the theories that attempt to explain sex differences in health status include the following:
• Males are more likely than females to suffer from genetic disorders, so are inherently ‘weaker’ and more susceptible to illness. Most researchers do not support this theory.
• Men are encouraged by our culture to be tough. Many men believe that complaining of feeling ill or visiting the doctor is a threat to their masculinity or a waste of time, unless they are sick or injured.
• Health is largely determined by social factors such as education status, employment and income. Men from low socioeconomic backgrounds make up one of the sickest sub-groups in Australia.
• Unlike women, men (particularly younger men) do not value good health and longevity.
Social reasons:
Males in Western societies, such as Australia, are less inclined than women to take an active role in maintaining their own health. They are also less likely to seek professional help for problems, particularly those of an emotional nature. Some of the social and cultural reasons for this include:
• The Western definition of masculinity includes strength and silence. Men may feel that it is a sign of weakness or ‘femininity’ to seek help.
• Males, particularly younger men, tend to act as if they are invulnerable. This can lead to destructive behaviours such as drug or alcohol binges, reckless driving or other risky behaviours.
• Women are more likely to have regular contact with doctors because of periods, contraception and pregnancy issues. Men don’t have a similar ‘system’ that requires them to regularly see a doctor, and are less likely to recognize or ‘act on’ signs of risk.
Socioeconomic factors also play a part:
The ‘macho’ theory proposes that if men stopped behaving like tough guys, they may start looking after themselves. Some researchers believe that blaming cultural factors like ‘masculinity’ is a way of passing the buck. Bad health may not be the individual’s fault entirely, but the fault of the social environment in which they live.
It has been well documented around the world that poverty breeds disease. Research from the National Health Strategy’s Research Paper (1992) showed that men from low socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to get sick than men from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, and are more likely to die as a result of a range of health issues, including:
• Pneumonia and influenza - 265 per cent more likely to die.
• Cerebrovascular disease - 102 per cent more likely to die.
• Respiratory disorders (such as bronchitis and emphysema) - 98 per cent more likely to die.
• Suicide - 77 per cent more likely to take their own lives.
• Diabetes - 74 per cent more likely to die.
• Lung cancer - 55 per cent more likely to die.
• Ischaemic heart disease - 54 per cent more likely to die.
Male depression:
One out of every six Australian men suffers from depression at any given time. Statistics indicate:
• Teenagers and the elderly are particularly at risk.
• Male depression is associated with an increased risk of health disorders, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• Life issues - such as the death of a spouse, separation, divorce and unemployment - trigger serious depression in men more often than in women.
• Men are likely to resort to destructive behaviours in an attempt to deal with depression.
• Depressed men are twice as likely as depressed women to abuse alcohol and drugs.
• The suicide rate for males aged between 15 and 24 years has tripled in the past three decades.