Facilitating community action during an awareness week to raise the profile of men's health issues

Abstract

Background A platform for men's health promotion was provided with the distribution of health promotion resources to participating organisations during International Men's Health Week (IMHW). Our aim was to determine if men's health resource support to organisations, during an awareness week, is effective at facilitating community action to raise the awareness of men's health issues in the local community. Methods A semi quantitative survey (22 questions) about the event was completed by organisations receiving Andrology Australia health promotion resources during IMHW 2006 ( n = 131, 29% response rate) and 2007 ( n = 240, 36% response rate). Results The number of organisations requesting Andrology Australia health promotion resources during IMHW increased by 48% from 2006 ( n = 456) to 2007 ( n = 675). In both years events were held mainly by community-based organisations or in the workplace. Over half of the events were held in regional/remote areas across Australia. Organisations rated the usefulness of the health promotion resources [range: 1 = very useful to 5 = not at all useful]. Over 50% of respondents in both 2006 and 2007 gave a rating of ‘1 = very useful’ (1.6 ± 0.7 (mean ± SD)). Organisations used health promotion resources to ‘encourage men to seek health information’ and ‘encourage men to discuss issues with a GP’. Most organisations (2006, 80%; 2007, 79%) indicated that they would hold an event in the following year. Conclusions The provision of men's health resources as part of the awareness week, IMHW, was well-received by organisations and supported their men's health promotion activities, particularly in regional areas and the workplace. Facilitating community action through the provision of health promotion resources helps support the growing increase in local men's health events across Australia. A co-ordinated approach will ensure consistent health messages and provide sustainable support, while also avoiding duplication of the limited resource pool.