Posted on 08/11/2009 12:57:39 PM PDT by nightlight7
Middle-aged men who strongly idealize masculinity are almost 50 percent less likely than other men to seek preventative healthcare services, according to a study—the first population-based analysis of men's masculinity beliefs and preventative healthcare compliance—to be presented at the 104th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.
"This research strongly suggests that deep-seated masculinity beliefs are one core cause of men's poor health, inasmuch as they reduce compliance with recommended preventative health services," said Kristen W. Springer, the study's primary investigator. Springer is an assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, as well as a Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholar at Columbia University. "Although previous research points to the health-promoting effects of higher socio-economic status, in the case of the most masculine men—those who most strongly endorse ideals of 'old school' masculinity—increases in job status actually have a detrimental effect on preventative healthcare seeking."
Men in low-status, stereotypically male jobs are the exception to the study's findings linking masculine beliefs with avoidance of preventative healthcare. Men with strong masculinity beliefs who are in blue-collar jobs (e.g., machine operators, truck drivers, construction workers and farm workers) were more likely to report obtaining care.
"For masculine men in blue-collar occupations, this research suggests that the masculinity threat of seeking health care is less concerning than the masculinity threat of not performing their jobs," Springer said. "However, as job status increases among men who have strong masculinity beliefs, the likelihood that they will obtain preventative healthcare declines significantly. These findings provide some insight into the persistent gender paradox in health whereby men have a lower life expectancy at birth relative to women, despite having higher socioeconomic resources."
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(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
This brings to mind good old Tim the Toolman Taylor and his Brauts n Beer outings.
Hey,I’m going a macho man under Obama care!
Men in low status jobs (blue collar) often use their bodies in their work (and need to be attuned to physical maintenance/care) and are encouraged to seek medical help, if necessary.
As a macho type myself who seldom goes to the doc, I would say it is unrelated to being macho.
Might it also suggest that men in lower income jobs fear that their wives may leave them if they are unable to provide for them-—OR-— could it suggest that higher income men don't listen to their wives anymore because they can “buy” a new wife now?
New addition to ObamaCare: Mandatory emasculation counseling to make American wimpy, liberal and flaming — and more likely to seek medical treatment.
Do these Nancy boys ever think that some men are not "idealize(ing) masculinity" but just happen to be masculine? I didn't think so.
The guys I know that fit this category are always looking for "workman's comp." or some free time off.
I don’t go to the doctor often and thankfully have very little reason to do so, but you betcha I make sure I’m at the urologist for my yearly checkup. You can shrug off various ailments and aches, but you can’t shrug off the possibility of prostate cancer.
LOL, the reason the blue-collar workers seek care is because they are often in pain because of their hard physical labor.
OTH, my husband doesn’t go unless he really thinks it will prevent him from dying. He one time had at least 3 broken ribs (I could feel them), he was bruised blue-black from the top of his chest to the middle of his abdomen and from the top of his shoulders to the middle of his buttocks. He couldn’t walk on his ankle and he had a sprained wrist. Who knows what x-rays would have showed or what internal damage there might have been, but he wouldn’t go to the doctor.
I can’t go to the doctor; every time I do they try to lock me up.
Maybe Obama will make masculinity a crime and have his Civilian National Security Corps forcibly drag us all to the doctor for our yearly checkup.
Archie Bunker syndrome?
I think there’s a fear factor. What I don’t know....sort of like the raccoon covering his eyes and thinking you can’t see him.
Let’s face it. Going to the doctor, at best, can only result in a neutral result: you’re not dying....yet.
Irrational? Absolutely. But related to some “macho” ideal? Hardly.
Nop, he was a low socio-economic status 'macho' type, hence a kind of man more likely to visit doctors for checkups.
I don't think it is due to fear -- high status macho types would be the least fearful class of people (other than madmen, who probably also don't visit docs, unless dragged there by cops of family).
As someone fitting the profile to a tee (a CTO and chief scientist in a computer company, with a strong inborn 'macho' attitude, which greatly annoys my wife even though she admits she picked me out for it, go figure), I also didn't visit docs for couple decades, since graduate school (except for visiting my parents, both medical doctors, but only as parents; I do visit dentists every 5-7 years, but only with specific tooth to fix), I can introspect it in myselfs as a strong aversion to letting someone take control of you. I also don't fear of death and can tolerate pain well (e.g. I don't take novocain for any dental work, or any pain meds for anything in daily life). I just put up with pretty much whatever ails me, fix as much as I can figure out how and then let it heal over. When my time comes, I will just go.
LOL, tiki! I am married to one of those, too.
The docs tell me that it is the wives who call and make the appointment and then the staggering wreck insists on driving himself to the hospital and will only take his meds if coaxed or frightened sufficiently.
I didn’t tell the doctor that it took me three days to get my husband to let me call him. It was a case of kidney stones, once and a savage ear infection that burst an ear drum, another time. He did decide on his own to go to the ER
when he stuck a jeweler’s saw blade through his finger, but the broken toe? Nope. He suffered and it healed and that was that.
I am convinced it is about a belief that if one ignores such things, one can also ignore mortality. I also think nightlight7 has a point about control.
I can see that. Good insight.
My husband thinks that no matter how sick you are if you get out of bed, take a shower and go to work, you are cured.
Amen..........
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