Researcher: "Men's health has been overlooked for far too long"
A researcher proposes that an entire generation of young men should be invited to see their doctor at age 20, and perhaps again at 40. "We need to get men to seek healthcare in a more sensible way," says Øyvind Næss.
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Men face many and serious health challenges. They are more likely to die by suicide, and more often from cancer, cardiovascular disease, traffic accidents, and other incidents.
Men are also far more likely to get non-communicable diseases such as COPD, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.
This leads to shorter lives compared to women, with more years of life lost.
"This is not about biology but social differences, and it's preventable," Øyvind Næss says at an event at Arendalsuka, the largest annual political gathering in Norway.
He is a specialist in public health and researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH).
An overlooked issue
Næss has studied the differences in life expectancy between women and men.
His research shows that social inequality plays a significant role, something that has been largely overlooked by both the public and researchers.
For instance, men with low education live ten years less than women with higher education. Women with low education, by contrast, live only three years less than men with higher education.
These findings come from the Men's Committee's 2024 report (link in Norwegian) to the government.
Years of life lost
Beyond life expectancy, researchers also talk about years of life lost. The earlier a death occurs, the greater the loss.
Men between 15 and 50 years old lose more years of life than women in the same age group, according to the Men's Committee.
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"These deaths are mainly linked to substance abuse, violence, and accidents," says Næss.
Among men aged 50 to 75, deaths are often caused by lifestyle diseases such as COPD, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and diabetes.
Despite these significant disparities, men’s health receives too little attention, according to Næss.
A hundred years ago, the differences were small
It hasn't always been the case that men live shorter lives than women. Before the mid-20th century, the difference was quite small.
But after 1950, men's and women's life expectancies began to diverge, with women continuing to live longer, according to this article on Science Norway.
By 1970, women in Norway lived on average seven years longer than men.
In recent years, the gap has narrowed. Today, women's life expectancy is 84.8 years, while men's is 81.6, according to NIPH.
The fact that these differences have shifted over time, Næss believes, shows that the causes are environmental rather than biological.
So why is it like this?
"We should focus less on biological differences and more on what we can actually do," says Næss.
"By reducing the overall burden of disease in society, we also reduce the gap between men and women," he adds.
This includes measures aimed at preventing lifestyle-related illnesses.
But since young men under 50 are more at risk of dying from accidents related to substance use and violence, measures should also be implemented here, according to Næss.
Examples include traffic accident prevention, shorter opening hours at liquor stores, age restrictions on gambling, and greater investment in substance abuse treatment.
"We know that such preventive steps make a big difference," says Næss.
Men don't go to the doctor
Ina Grung, a GP and researcher at the University of Bergen who took part in the discussion, notes that far more women than men come to her clinic.
"Women come to the doctor from a young age because of contraception, Pap smears, and pregnancy," she says.
Women are also encouraged to see their doctor, and once they're there, it's easier to bring up other health concerns.
For men, it's different.
"Men like to have a concrete reason to see the doctor," says Grung.
More men are forcibly admitted
Øyvind Næss also points out that far more men than women have not visited their GP in the past year.
This is especially evident in the area of mental health.
More women than men seek help from their GP for mental health problems. They also receive help from psychologists and others specialists more often.
Men, on the other hand, are disproportinately represented in forced psychiatric admissions.
Do 18-year-olds even know how the healthcare system works?
Næss believes that boys and young men need better information about primary healthcare and where to turn for help.
"We need to get men to seek healthcare in a more sensible way. One way to do this could be by establishing earlier contact between boys and their GP. After all, how many 18-year-olds really know how the healthcare system works?" asks Næss.
"Maybe we should invite an entire cohort to visit their GP at 20, and then again at 40?" he suggests.
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik
Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no
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