Masculinities, men and promoting health through primary care

There is a lot of evidence about the inequalities in health between men and women, but inequalities also exist between different socioeconomic groups of men (White 2004). Primary care nurses and health visitors often experience difficulties in engaging men in public health and health promotion initiatives. For example, research suggests that men are much less likely to visit their GP than women (Office of National Statistics 2003), and shows that men are under-represented in weight management programmes in primary care (Men's Health Forum 2005). This article looks at how men's preventive health needs can be effectively addressed in primary care, and aims to assist nurses and health visitors to creatively, and sensitively target and engage groups of men in health improvement.