A nationwide campaign has called on the country to raise awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.
According to the Men’s Health Information & Resource Centre “more males have accidents, more males take their own lives and more males suffer from lifestyle-related health conditions than females at the same age”.
These are the sombre truths and the inspiration behind national Men’s Health Week, 15 to 21 June.
The week will be marked with events to be held across the country, both virtually and within community groups.
The event aims to celebrate men’s health and start discussions that might ultimately save a man’s life.
For Port Stephens resident and yacht club member David Hadfield, a shared barbecue event this week, provided an opportunity to reflect on the positive health impacts achieved through participation in community functions.
The active retiree said he believed more needed to be done to support men’s health issues but this type of event was a positive start.
“We [men] need to be more proactive in mateship and supporting one another,” he said.
“Living at Ingenia Lifestyle [retirement community] and taking part in social groups has been great because it brings likeminded men together who now have interests and hobbies to share with each other.”
Ingenia Lifestyle Latitude One Assistant Community Manager Felicity Hamilton said hosting event’s like this week’s sail highlighted the need for men to socialise regularly.
“Through the resident’s barbecue we want to encourage residents to show support for their neighbours, to share positive messages about the men in their life, host online events and encourage people to get in touch with their mates to avoid social isolation,” she said.
According to mental health support service Beyond Blue, on average one in eight men will experience depression and one in five men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives.
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