A national US survey has revealed a generational divide when it comes to men’s health, with widespread differences in attitudes to mental wellbeing and social media use.
More than nine in ten (95%) respondents said living a healthy lifestyle was their top priority, the survey found, while almost nine in ten (87%) said they were concerned about how their current health habits would affect their future wellbeing.
However, men’s concerns around their health do not always translate into action, it seems.
The national survey, which was carried out by the Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic, divided respondents according to whether they were gen Z (born between 1997 and 2005), millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), gen X (born between 1965 and 1980), or boomers (born before 1965). It revealed generational differences in men’s health priorities, concerns, and behaviours.
Older respondents are more likely to undergo a yearly physical examination, for example, with more than three in five (61%) men from gen X and boomer demographics saying they do so, compared with one in three (32%) millennial and gen Z men.
Older men are also more likely to avoid smoking or vaping: this was the case for three in five (60%) gen X men and boomers, compared with two in five (43%) millennials and gen Z respondents.
However, the younger cohort is more likely to take steps to address their mental health, with three in five (59%) millennials and gen Z men saying they seek support in this area, compared with just over half (53%) of gen X men and boomers.
The survey also asked men about where they turn for health information. While all generations agreed that healthcare providers are a top source for advice, use of other sources varied according to age.
Gen Z men were most likely of all generations to turn to social media for health information, with one in three (33%) respondents saying they do this, compared with just one in 20 (5%) boomers.
However, nearly two in five gen Z respondents do not have an established primary care provider, findings showed, with many saying they have never – or are not sure if they have ever – had their blood pressure, cholesterol, or weight checked by a medical professional.
“We saw in the survey that men are concerned with how the health decisions they make now will affect them in the future,” said Petar Bajic MD, director of the Center for Men’s Health at Cleveland Clinic.
“Health risks related to age and family history make the relationship with a primary care provider essential, even for younger men.
“Monitoring key indicators in men like blood pressure and cholesterol in addition to sexual health concerns is crucial because we know that these can often signal a larger underlying health condition.”
Perhaps most worryingly, cancer awareness and screening rates remain low among men – despite the fact that almost three in four (74%) of those who responded to the survey said they fear developing the disease.
As many as one in three gen X and boomer respondents who are eligible for colorectal cancer screening said they have not been screened or are not sure if they have been screened.
Meanwhile, one in four men with an average risk of prostate cancer – that is, those aged 50-plus – have not been screened or are not sure if they have been screened.
The online survey was issued as part of Cleveland Clinic’s annual educational campaign MENtion It. Now in its ninth edition, the initiative aims to address the fact that men often do not mention health problems or take steps against developing disease.
