Source: Defending the truth
Too much machismo can be bad for a man’s health. A recent study finds that the John Wayne/Sylvester Stallone types are half as likely as their less “macho” counterparts to visit a doctor for preventive health care.
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association on August 10, 2009 by its author, Kristen Springer. The men who participated in the study were all 65 years old, and preventive care was defined as annual physicals, testing for prostate cancer, and getting a flu shot.
The men’s “macho quotient” was determined from a questionnaire that asked things like “When a man is feeling pain, he should not let it show. Do you agree or disagree?” Other questions designed to identify traditional masculinity asked whether men should be the main bread winner, act confident even when they’re not, or have the final say in the decision to buy a house.
When it comes to seeking health care, higher levels of education and income alone are not enough to overcome strong beliefs about traditional masculinity. It is only when health issues threaten their livelihood that these men seek preventive care. Interestingly, this ability to overcome conventional male expectations was most often found among those holding more conventionally male jobs (truck drivers, construction workers).
Real men don’t get sick. Not
It’s well known that women live an average of five years longer than men and that of the 15 leading causes of death – heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, etc. – 12 of them have higher death rates for men.
Could this study on masculinity and preventive care explain these statistics? The results are suggestive, but offer no concrete evidence of a cause and effect relationship.
Earlier studies
Kristen Springer suggested one unexamined factor that might explain why less “masculine” men are more likely to seek preventive health care: They might have wives who nag them into seeing a doctor or their wives might be especially supportive about their health concerns.
Advice to the little ladies
What can a woman do if she has a “macho” mate who refuses to see a doctor? Debbie Mandel, who writes the Self Help Examiner for the San Francisco Examiner, offers the following advice.
Appeal to his competitive nature to be at the top of the hierarchy: “Honey, you are so important to me blah, blah, blah, I want you to be around for a long time.”
As CEO of the household, you can schedule his appointments just like you do going out with friends. Don’t talk about it; just make the appointment with the doctor. Go along with him not to hold his hand, but because, “I am concerned.” He will go to allay your fears.
Make a game out of it and sneak in some healthy nutrition. For example, if he likes red meat, prepare a lean cut and position it between two slices of multi-grain bread. Then stealthily add some vegetables like roasted peppers, arugula, tomato and onions. If you use cheese, get a low-fat version. Disguise the fruits, veggies and aim for a rainbow array. For example, mash a potato along with cauliflower and add some fat free milk. Season it well. Who is to know? Eventually his taste buds will change.
These tips and tricks may indeed be appropriate for someone with a traditionally masculine spouse. Whether their pre-feminist flavor can be applied more broadly is another kettle of fish.
Related link:
Contempt and compassion: The noncompliant patient
Resources:
Randy Dotinga, For Macho Men, Doctor Visits Are Less Likely, ABC News, August 12, 2009
Roni Caryn Rabin, Patterns: Do Real Men Go to the Doctor?, The New York Times, August 14, 2009
Randy Dotinga, ‘Macho’ men visit doctor less, USA Today, August 13, 2009
Meredith Hegg, Traditional Masculinity Ideals Influence Health Care Decisions, August 14, 2009
Debbie Mandel, Why women live longer than men, The San Francisco Examiner, August 11, 2009
Richard A. Lippa, Gender, Nature, and Nurture
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