NEW SURVEY SUGGESTS POSITIVE SHIFT; SHOWS MEN MORE PROACTIVE IN MANAGING THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH, CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE PRIORITIZING MENTAL WELLNESS

• Men's Health Week (June 12 – June 18)
• 80% of Canadian men have spoken with a healthcare practitioner in the last 12 months.
• 1 in 2 Canadian men say they would book an appointment as soon as they notice a health issue.
• Nearly a third of women identified mental health as a top priority for the next 12 months; only a quarter of men said the same.

TORONTO, June 12, 2023 /CNW/ - Men are infamous for their tendency to opt for avoidance when facing health concerns, but new research commissioned by leading men's health charity Movember, suggests these longstanding stereotypes may be seeing an overdue positive shift.  

Coinciding with Men's Health week (June 12 – June 18), the global survey, which was conducted by Ipsos and included 2,155 Canadians aged 18 to 75, showed 4 in 5 Canadian men (80%) had spoken to their healthcare practitioner at least once over the last 12 months. In fact, more male (49%) than female (43%) respondents noted they would see a healthcare practitioner as soon as they noticed a health issue, challenging the common perception that men either ignore health problems, or are slow to seek medical advice.

While traditionally, it has been assumed that men require a push when facing physical health concerns, nearly half of the men surveyed (47%) said they book or have their healthcare practitioner appointment booked with no prompting. Of the 27 per cent of men who did require a friendly nudge, more than half (53%) said the prompt came from a partner/spouse, a reminder that men's health impacts go beyond just men.

Founded 20 years ago, Movember has been committed to moving the needle, tackling these common male stereotypes, and working to raise awareness for men's health on a global scale, encouraging men to prioritize both their mental and physical wellbeing. This most recent survey, which explores men's current attitudes towards their health, provides a better understanding of the potential improvements made, but also clearly demonstrates that there is further work to be done, particularly when it comes to men's mental wellbeing.

While the stats do warrant a dose of optimism when analysing men's attitudes towards their physical health, the same can't quite be said for their attitudes regarding mental health.  The survey showed, overall Canadians were more likely to prioritize their physical health (37%) than they were their mental health (28%), but while nearly a third of women selected mental health as a top priority, only a quarter of men noted the same.

Although men tend to act quickly when noticing physical symptoms, such as finding a lump on their testicle or blood in their stool (81% and 80% respectively, noted they would seek help within two weeks), over a third of men (35%) would wait a month or more to seek help if they were feeling down or agitated more often than usual, both of which can be precursors to mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. Worryingly, one quarter of men (26%) said they would either wait over a year or not make an appointment at all if these feelings arose. Unfortunately, this theme remains consistent with previous research conducted by the organization. In a survey commissioned by Movember in 2021, 75% of Canadians felt the men in their life were less likely than the women to share their mental health concerns**.

"From the start, Movember's mission has always been about moving the dial and sparking real change when it comes to men's health. From our work with thousands of men over the last 20 years, we know that men do care about their health and wellbeing. These results show that men around the world are, in fact, far more proactive about their health in contrast to the stereotypes that we are familiar with. While it's encouraging to see this mindset shifting, there is still work to be done," says Todd Minerson, Country Director for Movember Canada. 

This month, with Men's Health Week as the catalyst, Movember has also teamed up with Panasonic, aiming to raise funds throughout June and drive awareness on the importance of selfcare, with a particular focus on mental health. By sharing Movember-led resources on their platforms, Panasonic hopes to encourage men to be conscious of their own mental wellness.

About Movember

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men's health on a global scale. Since 2003, the charity has created a men's health movement, funding men's health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men's health research and transforming the way health services reach and support men. They have taken on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer and as a result, men are living healthier, longer lives.  Movember are working with their community and expert partners all year round to improve the health of men and boys, their families, mates, and communities. Raising awareness and critical funds to tackle some of the most complex problems affecting men's health today. The charity's vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men's health. Leading the charge in encouraging men to adopt healthy behaviours, challenging health systems and confronting gender norms to reduce health inequalities and save more lives. To donate or learn more, please visit Movember.com.

About the research

Ipsos interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,218 adults aged 18-75 in the United Kingdom, 2,156 adults aged 18-75 in the US and 2,155 adults aged 18-75 in Canada, using its online i:omnibus between 18^th and 22^nd May 2023. Ipsos used an online ad-hoc solution to interview a representative quota sample of 2,000 adults aged 18-75 in Australia between 18^th and 22^nd May 2023. The data has been weighted to the known offline population proportions for age within gender, working status and region to reflect the adult population of each respective market. In the US and the UK, the data has also been weighted by education, as well as social grade in the UK.

**Ipsos Canadian Omnibus survey of 2,000 Canadians 18 years of age and over representative of the Canadian population, with a boost of 200 men 18+ in Quebec, conducted Oct. 22 - Oct. 25, 2021. Survey offered in English and French. The findings in this release are based on those 18-54 from the study. The results are considered accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage point, 19 times out of 20, for the aggregate results.

SOURCE Movember Canada

Fresh PR, Jo-Anne Stayner, [email protected], [phone]; Movember Canada, Sonya Friesen, Public Relations Manager (Canada), [email protected], [phone]