Better health and ageing for all Australians

National Male Health

Research and Information

Building a strong evidence base on male health is a priority area identified in the National Male Health Policy to inform policies, programs and initiatives.

In this section:


Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health (the Study) stems from the fifth priority area of the National Male Health Policy (the Policy) which focuses on building a strong evidence base in male health. The Study will inform policies, programs and initiatives that promote health and support to males.

The University of Melbourne will undertake the design, establishment and implementation of the Study. The objectives and outcomes of the Study are to provide a national longitudinal population based study which aims to:
  • Examine male health and its determinants including the social, economic, environmental and behavioural factors that affect the length and quality of life.
  • Address a range of key research questions about the health of Australian males including their health behaviours and risk factors, key life transition points, social and economic environments in which they work and live together with their health and other service use.
  • Identify policy opportunities for improving the health and wellbeing of Australian males and providing support for males at key life stages, particularly those at risk of poor health.
The Study will be conducted in a way that:
  • Examines the social, psychological, biological and environmental determinants of good health in males; including clarification of the cause and effect relationships between the health of males and these determinants.
  • Advances understanding of the factors that enhance or inhibit good physical and mental health for males with particular focus on gaps in existing knowledge.
  • Documents health service usage through participant self report and through linkage with the Medicare Benefits Schedule and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme/Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data sets and other relevant health data sets over time.
  • Includes a focus on life stages and key life transition points/events.
  • Examines the social determinants of health such as socio-economic status, education, employment, income, location, cultural background and social support; and examine how these determinants may impact on males’ physical and mental health.
  • Considers the impact of sex, gender and age on males’ attitudes towards their health, health behaviours, including help seeking and health outcomes.
  • Includes a focus on intergenerational difference and exploration of whether the nature of social, economic, environmental and technological change since the birth of older males in the Study has resulted in different age groups effectively living their lives within different social contexts with distinctive health impacts.
  • Assesses the impact of changes in health policy and practice on the health of Australian males.
  • Complements existing longitudinal studies such as the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health and the Longitudinal Study on Australian Children.
The Study will complement the very successful Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health which has been collecting data since 1995.
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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: male health bulletins

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is a major national agency set up by the Australian Government to provide reliable, regular and relevant information and statistics on Australia's health and welfare.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is drawing on a wide rage of reliable national data sources to present a ‘snapshot’ of the health and wellbeing of Australian males. A suite of male health bulletins will be published to provide up-to-date data for health professionals, academics, program designers/policy makers, key stakeholders and the general public.

The health of Australia's males , the first in the series of male health bulletins, examines attitudes to health issues, rates of injury, illness and mortality and use of health services among Australian males. It provides a summary of the health and wellbeing of the Australian male population by outlining the lifestyle factors influencing male health, the health status of Australian males and access to health services. Some interesting findings outlined in The health of Australia’s males include:
  • Males born between 2007-2009 can expect to live 24 years longer than males born between 1901-1910.
  • In 2007-08, around two-thirds of adult males (aged 18 years or over) and one-quarter (aged 5-17 years) were overweight or obese.
  • In 2007, nearly half of males aged 16–85 years had experienced a mental health disorder in their lifetime. This includes males with anxiety, affective and/or substance use disorders.
  • In 2009, nearly one-fifth of Australian males had a disability. This includes males with a mild to profound core activity limitation, school or employment restriction or with a non-specific limitation or restriction.
  • In 2007–08, nearly one-third of males had a chronic health condition. This includes males with asthma, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart and circulatory diseases or osteoporosis.
  • In 2008–09, 16% of males did not use any Medicare services.
A summary Report Profile has also been released.

Copies of the report (please quote item no. RG0017) and the summary Report Profile (please quote item no. RG0013) can be ordered free of charge from National Mailing and Marketing, via email at:

nmm@nationalmailing.com.au

The report and profile may also be downloaded from the AIHW website at:

www.aihw.gov.au/publications/