First-ever European men's health study

The first ever study of the health of men in Europe, carried out for and published by the European Men's Health Forum, points up major differences in men's health across the continent. The MHF's chair of trustees Alan White is co-author of the report.

The higher rate of premature death for men when compared to women is an established fact, but the overall state of men's health has not been previously examined on a European scale. The new Report on the state of men's health across 17 European countries, which was launched on Tuesday 8 July in Brussels and has been endorsed by the British Medical Association, brings together the latest available mortality and morbidity figures on men's health for the current 15 European Union countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) along with Norway and Switzerland to present such an overview.

Alan White, who is also on the EMHF's Board of Directors, said: 'The findings demonstrate that there are worrying inequalities in men's health and these exist between men from differing countries, and also between men and women. The overall conclusion is that health is gendered and that health policy, health research and health care should more closely relate to the needs of both men and women.'

In endorsing the report Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the British Medical Association's Director of Professional Activities said: 'The state of men's health across Europe is poor. We need to do more to encourage men to have regular and timely health-checks with their doctors. We are seeing an alarming rate of preventable deaths in the male population. We need national and EU measures to encourage healthier lifestyles and aim towards extending the average life-expectancy for men so that it becomes more in line with that of women.

 

'That is why this Report is very much welcomed by the BMA. It looks at a whole range of conditions which affect men, including prostate, bowel and testicular cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, mental health and liver disease. Health professionals across Europe will find this a very useful tool for determining priorities for action and it will, hopefully, have the effect of spurring on national authorities and legislators at the EU level to tackle the largely hidden problems of health-care provision for men in Europe.'

Go to EMHF's website to:

Read Alan White's editorial on the report

Read Alan's article in the World Congress on Men's Health newsletter

VISIT THE 'VIRTUAL' LAUNCH - view and download reports, pix and presentations

Download the Executive Summary (PDF)

Download the EMHF's press release (PDF)

Download the Full Report