Men’s Health Week is celebrated from 10-16 June, every year worldwide. It is an opportunity to highlight the importance and promote and support the health and well-being of men and boys in our communities. It not only focuses on physical health but also mental health and emotional well-being.
Around 40 percent of poor health and premature death among Australian men can be prevented by healthier habits. Men’s Health Week is giving blokes the superpower to change their well-being for the better.
Men, however, are less frequent visitors to GPs and there is a perception that they don’t care about health. “Australian men have a lower life expectancy, are more likely to be overweight, and experience higher rates of a range of chronic diseases in comparison to women”.
“Despite the contributions that unhealthy lifestyle behaviours make to the burden of disease, approximately 50% of men are insufficiently physically active, 97% do not consume the recommended servings of vegetables, and 71% do not consume enough fruit. About 13% of men aged 18 years and over smoke daily, and 26% consume alcohol at levels that exceed the lifetime risk guidelines. In 2020, the leading causes of death for Australian men were coronary heart disease, dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease), and lung cancer”.
“Death by suicide is more than three times as common in Australian men in comparison to women. Traditional masculine norms (e.g., stoicism, self-reliance, toughness) have stigmatized help-seeking behaviours, and further evidence suggests that service providers’ perceptions of masculinity may also hinder men’s willingness to engage with mental health support services. Likewise, men’s engagement with the healthcare system is often suboptimal and characterised by delayed access and shorter consultations”. (Ref: Sydney Western University).
In 2002, the Vienna Men’s Health Declaration set out to establish:
- Recognise men’s health is a critical issue and that there are health issues that only affect men
- Promote awareness of men’s approach to health
- Change the way health care is provided to be more sensitive toward men’s needs
- Create school and community programs that target boys and young men
- Connect health and social policies to better pursue men’s health goals
To summarise, Men’s Health Week aims to provide a platform to challenge and debate key issues in men’s health. Ultimately it’s out to raise men’s profile, health needs, and outcomes.
Western Sydney University’s Centre for Male Health and Healthy Male have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Aimed at enhancing the health of men and boys.
The MoU will establish and build a framework to strengthen the relationship between the organisations for a range of initiatives, starting with the Good Health Heroes campaign.
For more information on Men’s Health Week, our Good Health Heroes, and how you can get involved, visit www.goodhealthheroes.org.au or the Australian Men’s Health Forum.
Chiro & Sports Med
At Chiro & Sports Med we are committed to providing chiropractic solutions to address your unique needs. Whether you’re experiencing an irritated nerve, bulging disc, back, neck pain, or knee pain, headaches, or even muscular tightness and tension. You may be searching for pain relief after an accident or experiencing an injury. Our mission is to help reduce or eliminate pain and to prevent future problems and injuries. We are here to help improve your quality of life, well-being, and ability to live an active healthy lifestyle.
If you would like to make an appointment with one of the chiropractors at Chiro & Sports Med. Just call our office on 9817 2005. Alternatively, you can simply Book Online.
