title: Men's health and the health of the nation.
abstract: The health of the male population is a substantial contributor to the health of the nation. In general, men have a poorer health status and lower utilisation of health services than women. They have a lower life expectancy and are more likely to die from avoidable deaths than women. Men's health is increasingly being recognised as a specialty area of health promotion and of clinical practice. Male-specific approaches may assist in maximising the positive outcome of interventions aimed at educating men about their health issues, attracting men into seeking clinical services, and establishing and maintaining a gender-orientation in health services that encourages men to engage. With appropriate training and resources, primary health care is ideally placed to provide accessible, male-friendly services with lead to reduction in gender inequalities in health.
authors.affiliation: HealthWest PHO, Waitakere City, New Zealand. lannes@healthwest.co.nz
authors.forename: Lannes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huggard
authors.forename: Felicity
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goodyear-Smith
mesh_terms: D006293:Health Promotion; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health; D009520:New Zealand