Defining "Men's Health" Towards a More Inclusive Definition
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Abstract
A definition is required for men’s health that captures current thinking around men and their health and well-being globally. A new definition of men’s health should reflect greater complexity than that has existed in previously accepted, over-simplistic definitions of what constitutes “men’s health.” In addition, the most com-monly used definitions in the field that originated from the westernised countries of the Global North do not seem to be inclusive of the heterogeneity among a significant proportion of the world’s population. Definitions are important as they help drive academic endeavour, practice and policy; they also help shape organisations working in men’s health and, as such, they need to be as broad as possible. This paper outlines the limitations
and conceptual concerns in the current definitions and argues for a more inclusive definition.
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White, A., Connell, R., Griffith, D. M., & Baker, P. (2023). Defining "Men’s Health": Towards a More Inclusive Definition. International Journal of Mens Social and Community Health, 6(1), e1-e9. https://doi.org/10.22374/ijmsch.v6i1.100
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22. Men’s Health Forum (MHF). Getting it sorted: A policy programme for men’s health [Internet]. London: MHF; 2004 [cited 2022 Sep 9]. Available from: https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/getting-it-sorted
23. Bardehle D, Dinges M, White A. What is men’s health? A definition. J Mens Health. 2015;13(2):e40–52. https://doi.org/10.22347/1875-6859.13.2.5
24. Hammarström A, Annandale E. A conceptual muddle: An empirical analysis of the use of “sex” and “gender” in “gender-specific medicine” journals. PLoS One. 2012 Jan;7(4):e34193. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0034193
25. Markosyan R. Patients with disorders of sex development. Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab (Korean Society of Pediatric Endocrinology). 2021;26:74–9. https://doi.org/10.6065/apem.2040240.120
26. Lee SK. Sex as an important biological variable in biomedical research. BMB Rep. 2018;51(4):167–73. https://doi.org/10.5483/bmbrep.2018.51.4.034
27. White A, Richardson N. Gendered epidemiology: Making men’s health visible in epidemiological research. Public Health. 2011;125(7):407–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2011.04.012
28. Collyer FM. Global patterns in the publishing of academic knowledge. Glob North Glob South Curr Sociol. 2016;66(1):56–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392116680020
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31. Ruggeri K, Garcia-Garzon E, Maguire Á, Matz S, Huppert FA. Well-being is more than happiness and life satisfaction: A multidimensional analysis of 21 countries. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2020;18(1):1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-020-01423-y
32. Griffith DM. An intersectional approach to men’s health. Am J Mens Health. 2012;9(2):106–12. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875686712000231. 10.1016/j.jomh.2012.03.003
33. Morgan R, Baker P, Griffith DM, Klein SL, Logie CH, Mwiine AA, et al. Beyond a zero-sum game: How does the impact of COVID-19 vary by gender? Front Sociol. 2021;6:126. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2021.650729
34. Kattari SK, Brittain DR, Markus AR, Hall KC. Expanding women’s health practitioners and researchers’ understanding of transgender/nonbinary health issues. Women’s Health Issues. 2020;30(1):3–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2019.10.005
2. Ritz SA, Greaves L. Transcending the male–female binary in biomedical research: Constellations, heterogeneity, and mechanism when considering sex and gender. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(7):4083. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074083
3. Connell R. Gender in world perspective. 4th ed. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press; 2021. ISBN: 978-1-509-53901-7
4. Pillay SR, Ntetmen JM, Nel JA. Queering global health: An urgent call for LGBT+ affirmative practices. Lancet Glob Health. 2022;10:e574–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00001-8
5. United Nations (UN). The role of men and boys in achieving gender equality. Report of the Expert Group Meeting Brasilia, Brazil. Expert Group Meeting Men-boys-GE/2003/Report [Internet]. New York, NY: United Nations; 2004 [cited 2022 Aug 30]. Available from: https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/men-boys2003/reports/Finalreport.PDF
6. World Health Organisation (WHO). Men’s health and well-being in the WHO European Region. Copenhagen, Denmark: WHO, Regional Office for Europe; 2018. 24 p. Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-determinants/gender/mens-health/fact-sheet-mens-health-and-well-being-in-the-who-european-region-2018. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/329686
7. World Health Organisation (WHO). Strategy on the health and well-being of men in the WHO European region. Copenhagen, Denmark: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2018. Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/378165/68wd12e_MensHealthStrategy_180480.pdf?ua=1
8. Heilman B, Barker G. Masculine norms and violence: Making the connections. Washington, DC: Promundo & Oak Foundation; 2018.
9. Ratele K. Subordinate black South African men without fear. Cahiers d'Études Africaines. 2013;53(1–2):247–68. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24475023
10. Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) & World Health Organisation (WHO). Masculinities and health in the regions of the Americas [Internet]. Washington, DC: PAHO & WHO (Regional Office for the Americas); 2019 [cited 2022 Dec 22]. Available from: https://www.paho.org/journal/en/articles/masculinities-and-mens-health-region-americas
11. Department of Health, Commonwealth of Australia. National men’s health strategy 2020–2030. Canberra, Australia: Department of Health, Commonwealth of Australia; 2019. 42 p.
12. Ministério da Saúde, Política Nacional de Atenção Integral à Saúde do Homem (PNAISH). Ordinance GM/MS No. 3.562 [Internet]. Brasil: PNAISH. Available from: https://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/saudelegis/gm/2021/prt3562_15_12_2021.html (Cited 2022 December 02)
13. el Ministerio de Salud. Ley de creación del día nacional de la salud masculina y de la política pública nacional de salud integral masculina (N° 9172) [Internet] [Law for the Creation of the National Day for Men's Health and the National Public Policy for Men's Comprehensive Health]. Costa Rica: el Ministerio de Salud; 2013. Available from: https://www.ina.ac.cr/APIEG/Masculinidad/Normativa/Ley_9172.pdf (Cited 2022 December 02)
14. Esmailzade H, Mafimoradi S, Mirbahaeddin SE, Rostamigooran N, Farshadfar F. Devising a national men’s health policy document: The current challenges to men’s health in Iran. Int J Mens Health. 2016;15(2):174–93.
15. Department of Health (DoH). Working with men in Ireland to achieve optimum health and wellbeing. National Men’s Health Action Plan Healthy Ireland—Men HI-M 2017–2021 [Internet]. Dublin, Ireland: National Steering Committee, Department of Health (DoH). International Year of the Child; Healthy Ireland (HI); 2016. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/10147/621003
16. Ministry of Health. National men’s health plan of action Malaysia 2018—2023 [Internet]. Putrajaya, Malaysia: Ministry of Health; 2018 [cited 2022 Nov 18]. Available from: https://fh.moh.gov.my/v3/index.php/component/jdownloads/send/25-sektor-kesihatan-dewasa/542-men-s-health-poa-final-fa?option=com_jdownloads
17. Эрүүл мэндийн яам стратегийн. ЭРЭГТЭЙЧҮҮДИЙН ЭРҮҮЛ МЭНД” СТРАТЕГИ 2014-2018 [Internet] [Ministry of Health Strategy. Men’s Health Strategy 2014-2018]. Mongolia; 2017. Available from: Available from https://platform.who.int/docs/default-source/mca-documents/policy-documents/plan-strategy/MNG-CC-10-014-PLAN-STRATEGY-2014-mon-National-Health-Strategy-2014-2018.pdf (Cited 2022 December 02)
18. Department of Health, Republic of the Philippines. National policy and strategic framework on the men’s health program (MHP) [Internet]. 2021/0025. Republic of the Philippines; 2021. Available from: https://dmas.doh.gov.ph:8083/Rest/GetFile?id=676242 (Cited 2022 December 05)
19. National Department of Health South Africa. South Africa men’s health strategy_2020–2025. Pretoria, South Africa: National Department of Health South Africa; 2020.
20. Tan HM, Ng CJ, Christopher HCK, Hai, Teo CH. Asian men’s health report. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysian Men’s Health Initiative; 2013.
21. Ministério da Saúde, Brazil. Política nacional de atenção integral à saúde do homem (princípios e diretrizes) [Internet] [National policy of integral attention to men's health (principles and guidelines]. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde, Departamento De Ações Programáticas Estratégicas; 2008 [cited 2022 Dec 2]. Available from: https://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/politica_nacional_atencao_homem.pdf
22. Men’s Health Forum (MHF). Getting it sorted: A policy programme for men’s health [Internet]. London: MHF; 2004 [cited 2022 Sep 9]. Available from: https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/getting-it-sorted
23. Bardehle D, Dinges M, White A. What is men’s health? A definition. J Mens Health. 2015;13(2):e40–52. https://doi.org/10.22347/1875-6859.13.2.5
24. Hammarström A, Annandale E. A conceptual muddle: An empirical analysis of the use of “sex” and “gender” in “gender-specific medicine” journals. PLoS One. 2012 Jan;7(4):e34193. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0034193
25. Markosyan R. Patients with disorders of sex development. Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab (Korean Society of Pediatric Endocrinology). 2021;26:74–9. https://doi.org/10.6065/apem.2040240.120
26. Lee SK. Sex as an important biological variable in biomedical research. BMB Rep. 2018;51(4):167–73. https://doi.org/10.5483/bmbrep.2018.51.4.034
27. White A, Richardson N. Gendered epidemiology: Making men’s health visible in epidemiological research. Public Health. 2011;125(7):407–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2011.04.012
28. Collyer FM. Global patterns in the publishing of academic knowledge. Glob North Glob South Curr Sociol. 2016;66(1):56–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392116680020
29. Cash-Gibson L, Rojas-Gualdrón DF, Pericàs JM, Benach J. Inequalities in global health inequalities research: A 50-year bibliometric analysis (1966–2015). PLoS One. 2018 Jan 1;13(1):e0191901. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191901
30. Griffith DM, Bruce MA, Thorpe Jr, RJ. Introduction. In: Griffith DM, Bruce MA, Thorpe JRJ, editors. Men’s health equity. New York, NY: Routledge; 2019. pp. 3–9.
31. Ruggeri K, Garcia-Garzon E, Maguire Á, Matz S, Huppert FA. Well-being is more than happiness and life satisfaction: A multidimensional analysis of 21 countries. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2020;18(1):1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-020-01423-y
32. Griffith DM. An intersectional approach to men’s health. Am J Mens Health. 2012;9(2):106–12. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875686712000231. 10.1016/j.jomh.2012.03.003
33. Morgan R, Baker P, Griffith DM, Klein SL, Logie CH, Mwiine AA, et al. Beyond a zero-sum game: How does the impact of COVID-19 vary by gender? Front Sociol. 2021;6:126. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2021.650729
34. Kattari SK, Brittain DR, Markus AR, Hall KC. Expanding women’s health practitioners and researchers’ understanding of transgender/nonbinary health issues. Women’s Health Issues. 2020;30(1):3–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2019.10.005