Like a lot of father’s, my Dad worked very hard to take care of his business, our home, and even our lawn. Unfortunately, he wasn’t nearly as diligent when it came to his own health.  He was frequently quite stressed, had little time for exercise, and rarely saw the doctor until he had to.  Now that I’m married to a father, I’m seeing the same pattern, often helplessly worrying and wondering about him.  From my experience in working six years at a Health Center, I can say in general the average male has a hard time with regular and preventive health care.    So this Father’s Day it might be good to think about the health of the men in our lives and support them in promoting their own health as a priority.

Research shows that men are 80% less likely to use a regular source of healthcare, such as a primary care physician, then women.  By age 45, heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death for all groups of men.  For men in their 20’s and 30’s, access racial and ethnic groups, unintentional injuries and suicide are the leading causes of death (not true for women).  Men tend to get less sleep, partake  in heavy drinking, and engage in fewer hobbies and exercise than women.  Men also have shorter life spans than women, especially men who are not married.  The good news is that changes in behaviors can have a huge impact in all of these areas.  

Research tends to show that men do not make deliberate choices to engage in less healthy behavior, but they do so because their lives and environments make unhealthy choices easier than healthy ones.  According to Will Courtenay, a researcher on men’s health,  “Men, we found, tend to view their bodies as tools to do a job.  Health is not something they pay attention to until it gets in the way of of their ability to go to work, have sex, or do something else important to them.”  In fact, men are more likely than women to adopt behaviors and beliefs, including beliefs about manhood, that increase their health risks.  In the same way that men  won’t stop and ask for directions, they also tend to want to find their own way with their health.  Because of this, they don’t get the right health information and early screenings that may help prevent disease.

For men, being perceived as weak is a big trigger of shame.  They’re afraid to make themselves vulnerable for fear of being perceived as weak, especially when it comes to their body self image and pain tolerance.   Men tend to avoid talking about health problems and don’t seek help when problems arise as a way of maintaining control. Self-sufficiency is a cultural value for many men in our society, which leads to less social support and decreased opportunities for education and promotion of healthy behaviors.  For a lot of men, health care is something done to them, not something they participate in. 

Research consistently shows that women are important health factors in the lives of men.  Wives, daughters, and other women are important sources of information about health and often play a key role in helping men understand and cope with stress.  Research also shows that it is often a woman who schedules the  appointment for men when they do seek medical care or at least were the one to insist that he go.  

But from what I can tell, women often have had the benefits of regular check ups because they’ve been the ones to shoulder the responsibility of birth control and child bearing.  The role of how and when to be a mother plays a big part in their better participation and health awareness.  So perhaps this Father’s Day we can offer the same benefits to men in their roles and responsibilities of being fathers (or not becoming fathers).  We can encourage and support men in being healthy and insist that taking care of themselves be at least as high a priority as fertilizing the lawn or maintaining the BBQ.  While we so appreciate all that they do to take care of house and home, we much prefer they do what they need to do to be here with us as long as possible!  Perhaps our best gift to them today is to help them find time for their own mental and physical health.