Men’s Health in Northern Ireland: Why do we need a men’s health policy?

Erin Early, Paula Devine

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Males accounted for half the United Kingdom population in 2021 yet they fail to be prioritised in health and social policies. As examining the health of males and females collectively falls short in accounting for the complexities associated with gendered health outcomes, male health should be considered as a separate policy issue. The island of Ireland has two jurisdictions, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (NI); however, only the former has implemented a men’s health policy. As well as a policy vacuum within NI, few studies have comprehensively examined male health. To address this shortcoming, a narrative review of males’ physical and mental health trends in NI is presented to determine the need for a men’s health policy. A collation of secondary administrative data and survey data was conducted. The narrative review highlights the importance of utilising a holistic framework to understand men’s health. Key findings include high male suicide rates and young males being more likely to report certain mental health problems. The study concludes that a male health policy is needed. To achieve this, a Health Impact Pyramid was developed, and it illustrates practical steps that can be taken to support decision-makers, service providers and individual males.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-21
Number of pages21
JournalSociology of Health & Illness
Early online date14 Aug 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished online - 14 Aug 2023

Keywords

  • ecological system
  • gender
  • inequalities
  • men's health
  • Northern Ireland

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