In the world of men’s health any sign of progress is welcome, even if it comes in the context of conflicting messages.
Recently, the Cleveland Clinic revealed the results of its ninth annual men’s health campaign, MENtion It. The survey of 1,000 men found they are indeed concerned about their health, though they don't act like it. The contradiction is not unprecedented, and intergenerational differences in the findings provide a ray of hope that men may be slowly growing to consider healthy practices.
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According to the survey, 87% of men are concerned that their current health habits will affect their future health, and 95% considered a healthy lifestyle to be a top priority. That’s the good news. Here’s the contradiction. Despite these feelings, men are lax in acting on them, with the level of action varying by age.
The survey shows 61% of Generation X and baby boomers get an annual physical, but only 32% of millennials and Generation Z do so, with only 2 of 5 Gen Zers having a primary care physician. The result? The younger men are not having their blood pressure, cholesterol or BMI checked on a regular basis, and not availing themselves of what could be life-saving testing.
When it comes to smoking or vaping, the survey found that 60% of Gen Xers avoid it, but only 43% of millennials and Gen Z men fall into this category.
Though most men fear getting cancer, one-third of Generation X and booomoers eligible for colorectal cancer screenings have received one, or are not sure if they have been screened. The same holds true for postate cancer screenings. A quarter of men at average risk have not been screened or don't know whether they've been screened.
So, when it comes to physical health, older men, while far from perfect, do a little better, particularly with primary care.
On mental health, the Millennials and Gen Z men have a slight edge – 59% of them are willing to address mental health concerns. Only 53% of Gen Xers and boomers are willing.
What’s clear is that there is a wide gap between a man’s concerns about his health and his willingness to act on them. Unfortunately, the 2024 results mirror those in 2023 and 2022. The 2023 survey found that 81% of American men believed they were leading a healthy lifestyles, but only 51% said they ate healthy and fewer than that got a yearly physical and addressed mental health problems. Additionally, only half were screened for common cancers such as prostate, skin, testicular and bladder.
The 2022 survey also found men have a number of health concerns, but do little to act on them. Among aging men, 38% were concerned about cancer and 32% were uneasy about their sexual health, with 44% listing erectile dysfunction as their top concern. Still, 55% reported that they did not get regular health screenings, and about one-third said they’d never been screened for prostate cancer, bladder cancer and testicular cancer.
Experts tell us that a lack of primary care results in undetected and untreated health conditions in men. Frankly, you don’t have to be a medical scientist to grasp the point that if you don’t get checked, you’ll never know what’s going on in your body let alone diagnose a problem and get treatment. Still, the commanding influence of masculinity drives this apprehension to seek care and combines with other factors to keep men away from the doctor’s office.
A need to exhibit independence and hide any degree of vulnerability or perceived weakness continues to anchor these behaviors. In addition, researchers point to practical barriers like access to care and convenience that further push men away from medical care. Other factors in play include a fear over what men may learn and examination discomfort. Experts say a life-altering diagnosis or the anticipation of potential treatment options can be paralyzing, while invasive procedures like a prostate exam can cause distress and apprehension.
Is there hope ahead?
The latest results from the Cleveland Clinic survey show that younger men are slightly more open to mental health care than prior generations. We’ll take that win. The findings support the real-life experience of current and former Eagles players Lane Johnson, Brian Dawkins and Malcom Jenkins, who have been very public about their struggles with depression. So, while men are far from where we need to be, the mental health responses present a reason for hope, and a lesson for older guys who may remain stuck in denial when it comes to mental health.
With respect to the fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle like an annual physical, the opposite is in play. The older guys are out front and leading by example, getting their checkups at a rate almost twice that of their younger counterparts. While younger men don’t typically bear the risk that older guys carry, there are important reasons to get a physical, as recent studies have shown an increase in cancer among those under50.
That’s a clear call to action from those of us on the 50-plus team to encourage our sons, nephews and other men in our world to get their butts to the doctor at least once a year. And finally, hope may also be found in the ability to use social media and online appointments to inform and access health services. The survey found that 33% of Gen Zers are likely to use social media to find health information, far more than the 5% of boomers.
The vast majority of men surveyed in 2024 said they considered a healthy lifestyle to be a priority. Is that readiness for change? Could this be an indicator that American men are engaged in precontemplation or contemplation, the initial steps that some experts cite as critical for long-term behavior change? Yes, a significant gap remains between the words and actions of men, but let’s recognize the fact that men may be slowly accepting the prospect of healthy living.
