Project Overview
GRAS
Challenges
Relevant Countries
Learn More
Ten to Men is designed to contribute to knowledge about the factors that influence male health, with a particular emphasis on social determinants of health (e.g., where boys and men live, study, work and/or take part in recreational activities). It takes a life course perspective looking at the influence of key transitions (reaching puberty, leaving school, beginning work, becoming a father for the first time, retiring). It complements other longitudinal studies specifically the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. It has an exclusive focus on males with the objective to ‘drill down’ into factors that may be of particular relevance to male health and looking at differences among males. For example, men who live in regional areas and who may be at heightened risk of poor health outcomes
Gender specific.The study makes an important contribution to advancing knowledge on male health in Australia both by taking a life course perspective and collecting data on a wide range of social determinants such as financial security, housing type and tenure, education, working conditions, social support, community engagement, household structure and gender roles. This enables investigation of social/environmental and individual level factors influencing health behaviours and outcomes in males; and over the longitudinal course of the study to identify causal pathways across those levels. This can be used to support the development of policies and interventions to address gender inequalities in disease burden and premature mortality in Australian males. The study fills an important gap in terms of knowledge and begins to addresses gender-bias in health research by increasing and improving the data available on male health to enable gender-specific action by the health system in Australia.
Potential challenges include ensuring the translation of findings into health policy and practice. Other potential challenges include (a) ensuring agender analysis of the findings and (b) linked to this the gender analysis needs to include a focus on the intersection of gender with other factors and look at differences among boys and men, e.g. Indigenous and non-Indigenous males, and including males with diverse sexualities, intersex men and men with a transgender experience.
Collecting evidence that moves beyond description of differences between males and females and putting in place longer term arrangements for building evidence around men and women’s health as part of gender mainstreaming efforts and using a gender-lens. In particular it illustrates how data can be collected and used to look at all health issues for men over the life course as well as how wider determinants impact on women’s health. This type of information can also be used (a) to identify policy opportunities where multisectoral action is needed to improve health and gender equality; and (b) support improved country reporting on health-and gender-related SDGs as well as leaving no one behind.
The different instruments might be useful to review as well as the available sources of data on social factors. The questionnaires/survey instruments are available on the website as well as publications about the methodology. Furthermore, the focus on a wide range of social determinants is also of relevance to countries because it enables disaggregation beyond sex and age to identify differences among females and some indication of who is being left behind.
See Ten To Men website for information about the study, instruments, reports and publications: https://tentomen.org.au
See also the Australian men’s health strategy:https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/national+mens+health-1
For use of the results see: https://tentomen.org.au/data-access-and-usage/ZGF0YS1kb2
Feedback
