Investigating inequalities in men’s health: a literature review
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Investigating inequalities in men’s health: a literature review

Robert Shelswell Men’s health project lead and nurse practitioner, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Torbay Hospital, Torquay, England
Joanne Watson Health and care strategy director, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Torbay Hospital, Torquay, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To recognise some of the issues and inequalities related to men’s health

  • To enhance your knowledge of the factors that may affect men’s health

  • To consider approaches that you could use in your practice to improve the provision of men’s healthcare

As part of a project to review the delivery of healthcare services in Torbay and South Devon, England, the author undertook a literature review focusing on the specialty of men’s health. Men have a shorter life expectancy than women and this discrepancy is particularly pronounced in areas of social deprivation such as those found in the coastal and rural communities of the author’s locality. The concept of men’s health is complex, and this literature review identified five main themes that can have a significant influence on the delivery of healthcare services for men: masculinity, ethnicity, mental health, relevance of place, and access to services. In this article, the author discusses these themes and considers approaches that could be used to improve the provision of men’s healthcare.

Nursing Standard. 38, 12, 77-81. doi: 10.7748/ns.2023.e12160

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

robert.shelswell@nhs.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

Shelswell R, Watson J (2023) Investigating inequalities in men’s health: a literature review. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2023.e12160

Published online: 18 September 2023

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