Inquiry set to put men’s health in spotlight

An investigation is to be launched to try and determine why men’s health is so much poorer than that of women’s in a Yorkshire city.

Statistics reveal that life expectancy for men in Leeds is lower than the national average in Leeds, prompting councillors to try to find out why.

Figures reveal that men in the city are, on average, expected to live until they are 77, as compared with a national average of 78.

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But women in the city are predicted, on average, to have a life expectancy of 82 – exactly the national average.

Barry Ewart, who is the secretary of Leeds Men’s Health Network, said the group has spent over a decade campaigning for better men’s health in the city.

Mr Ewart has asked councillors in Leeds to look at men’s health and make suggestions about how services can be more accessible to men.

He penned a letter to officials to ask Leeds City Council’s health and wellbeing scrutiny panel to examining outcomes for males in the city.

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Mr Ewart said: “Leeds Men’s Health Network has been campaigning for better men’s health in the city for over 10 years.

“We believe that men’s 
health in general and particularly in the inner-city is in a poor 
state.

“Men often do not go to see the doctor until it is late and often too late.

“Men are less likely to engage with preventative health checks.”

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A recent meeting of the Scrutiny panel heard that with the right measures over 60 per cent of premature deaths among men are avoidable.

Mr Ewart said: “It’s not men’s versus women’s health.

“We are campaigning for improved health for men and to take more responsibility.

“It’s about preventative measures and there are some powerful statistics.

“Over 60 per cent of premature deaths amongst men are avoidable.”

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Mr Ewart said that sometimes males can see asking for help as a sign of weakness and negative attitudes.

The panel heard that there are often examples of barriers men face when trying to access health services in the city.

He told the scrutiny board that simple measures could be put in place to help men feel more comfortable accessing health services in the community.

Mr Ewart’s suggestions include having time-slots at doctor’s surgeries especially for men to talk about problems and even having a selection of gender neutral magazines in practices.

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The panel heard that men are likely to die five years younger than women in Leeds because of these issues.

But councillors agreed to examine the issue as part of their Narrowing the Gap strategy.

They heard that the research could have positive impacts on men’s health in the city.

Mr Ewart said: “It might end up helping a lot of men individually which has knock-on effects for families and for future generations. It could save the local authority money and the NHS budget.”

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The panel were told that there is a higher prevalence of alcohol use and smoking in men and a higher proportion of males die from cancer, circulatory disease and respiratory disease prematurely.

Experts have also found that poverty directly correlates to ill health.

Mr Ewart added: “A more positive approach to men’s health by men themselves and organisations, we believe could have many benefits for individual men as well as far the NHS and the local authority.”

Councillor John Illingworth, who chairs the panel, said: “If we take this forward it would be part of our general look at equality and the gap.”

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Leeds has helped to pioneer attitudes towards men’s health after Leeds Metropolitan University founded a national centre for Men’s Health.

Professor Alan White, who heads the centre, is the world’s first Professor of Men’s Health and also is the chairman of the Men’s Health Forum.