title: Healthy Eating and Active Living: Rural-Based Working Men's Perspectives.
abstract: There is a pressing need for health promotion programs focused on increasing healthy eating and active living among "unreached" rural-based men. The purpose of the current study was to describe rural-based working men's views about health to distil acceptable workplace approaches to promoting men's healthy lifestyles. Two focus group interviews included 21 men who worked and lived in northern British Columbia, Canada. Interviews were approximately 2 hours in duration; data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes inductively derived included (a) food as quick filling fuels, (b) work strength and recreational exercise, and (c) (re)working masculine health norms. Participants positioned foods as quick filling fuels both at work and home as reflecting time constraints and the need to bolster energy levels. In the theme work strength and recreational exercise, men highlighted the physical labor demands pointing to the need to be resilient in overcoming the subarctic climate and/or work fatigue in order to fit in exercise. In the context of workplace health promotion programs for men, participants advised how clear messaging and linkages between health and work performance and productivity and cultivating friendly competition among male employees were central to reworking, as well as working, with established masculine health norms. Overall, the study findings indicate that the workplace can be an important means to reaching men in rural communities and promoting healthy eating and active living. That said, the development of workplace programs should be guided by strength-based masculine virtues and values that proactively embrace work and family life.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Oliffe
authors.affiliation: 2 University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.|7 Australian Catholic Universality, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Joan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bottorff
authors.affiliation: 2 University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.affiliation: 2 University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Cristina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Caperchione
authors.affiliation: 3 Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Steven T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: 4 Northern Health, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.affiliation: 5 British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lamont
authors.affiliation: 6 Canadian Cancer Society, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jones-Bricker
authors.affiliation: 6 Canadian Cancer Society, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Kerensa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Medhurst
authors.affiliation: 5 British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Errey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001955:British Columbia; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D015444:Exercise; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057228:Masculinity; D054526:Men's Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: health promotion; healthy eating; masculinity; men’s health; physical activity