Men's Health Week 2020

With Father's Day less than a week away, we're taking the time to put the spotlight on men's health issues. There are many conditions that disproportionately or only affect men, but one of the most common issues men deal with is cultural: a reluctance to visit the doctor. Men don't seem to take advantage of health care services as often as they should. Statistics routinely show that women get medical care far more often than men, even when removing pregnancy-related care visits. We've got more statistics for you below that how men's health habits are different, and how this affects health outcomes.

Health Visits and Lifestyle Habits

• The rate of outpatient care among women is 33 percent higher.
• The rate of non-illness care visits by women was 100 percent higher -- this means that women are 100 percent more likely to visit the doctor!
• Women ages 15-44 visited the doctor 56 percent more often than men in the same age category.
• Men are 40 percent more likely to skip recommended cholesterol screenings.
• 24.6 percent of men with a mental illness do not seek services because they believe they can handle the problem without treatment.
• Over 12 percent of males under 65 are without health insurance coverage.
• 15.7 percent of men aged 18 and over smoke cigarettes.
• 57.6 percent of men aged 18 and over meet the federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity.

Disease Rates

Lack of attention to health care can be tied to other lifestyle habits that can increase your risk of various diseases:

• 12 percent of men aged 18 and over are in fair or poor health.
• 1 in 2 men are diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 3 women.
• Men are more likely to develop oral and throat cancer, as well as periodontal (gum) disease.
• Twice the number of men suffer hearing loss compared to women.
• 33 percent of men aged 20 and over have hypertension.
• 36.6 percent of men aged 20 and over are obese.

Some of these rates combine being male with racial lines, pointing to health outcomes affected by a difference in health care availability:

• Diabetes is 1.5 times more common among African American men, 1.8 times more common among American Indian and Alaska Native men, and 1.2 times more common among Asian American men.
• Stroke is 30 percent more common among Hispanic men.
• Obesity is 1.3 times more common among African-American and Latino boys ages 6-11 than white boys of the same age.

Mortality Rates

These higher disease rates are connected to higher mortality rates:

• Men are 1.5 times more likely to die of heart disease, cancer, and respiratory disease.
• Men are three to seven times more likely than women to commit suicide.
• Men account for 55 percent of the workforce but 92 percent of workplace deaths.
• Men live on average five years less than women.
• Men and boys have a higher death rate in 9 out of the 10 leading causes of death.

The many issues facing men's health are too complex and varied to discuss in one article, but the Men's Health Network has provided a number of guides that may give you an overview. What's important to think about is how we can take care of our health, for the benefit of not only ourselves but also the people relying on us. That means going to the doctor's more often and improving our education about men's health, and it also means ensuring that we take steps at home to improve our health.