Men's Attitudes Research Articles

Public health impact of marital violence against women in India.

The public health ramifications of marital violence are well documented and include injury, mental health concerns and physical health consequences for women and their offspring. Unfortunately, there remains social tolerance and even acceptance of these abuses against women, and health systems in India have done little to support victims despite their greater health risks. However, there are promising efforts and important advancements in India that could be built on for more effective prevention and support for women. Men and boys should be engaged in gender transformative interventions with male role models to alter men's attitudes of acceptability of and justification for marital violence and consequently their actual abusive behaviours. Given the strong demonstrated connection between men's risky and problem alcohol use and marital violence, alcohol interventions may also be beneficial. We must support women and girls vulnerable to marital violence, a group disproportionately affected by violence in their natal families as well, so they know that violence need not be part of their marriage relationship, and have skills on how to engage and communicate with or even leave their male partners to reduce their risk for violence. Formal services should be expanded for those in immediate danger and particularly for rural areas, where prevalence of marital violence is highest and supports are weakest. Finally, given the pervasiveness of attitudes accepting husbands’ marital violence against women, and the fact that these have remained largely unchanged in India for a decade, large scale community and social change efforts are needed.

Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Describe Male Involvement Intention During Childbirth Among Expecting Couples in a Rural Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study From Rukwa Region, Southern Tanzania.

Background:Male involvement during childbirth can increase utilisation of maternal services and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. An individual's intention towards such male involvement can be understood through the theory of planned behaviour, which postulates that such intention is influenced by 3 domains: 1) attitudes, 2) perceptions of social approval (subjective norms) and 3) feelings about control over the intended behaviour. In sub-Saharan Africa, rates of male involvement in childbirth birth are low, and little is known about the predictors of intention for such involvement among expecting couples in rural Africa. This study aimed to determine the influence of the 3 domains of intention on male involvement intention during childbirth among expecting couples in Rukwa Region, Tanzania.Methods:We conducted a community-based, cross-sectional study of pregnant women and their partners from June until October 2017. In total, 546 couples (n=1,092 participants) were identified through 3-stage probability sampling. A structured questionnaire based on the theory of planned behaviour was used to elicit information on the 3 domains of intention.Results:Most pregnant women (71.6%) and their male partners (77.3%) intended to have male involvement during childbirth. Among women, only positive attitude (odds ratio [OR] 0.2, 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.7; P=.012) was significantly associated with intention, though in an unexpected direction. In adjusted analysis, men's positive attitude (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 9.0, 95% CI, 1.9 to 40.9; P=.004) and positive subjective norms (AOR 4.4, 95% CI, 1.1 to 18.6; P=.041) were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of intention to accompany their partners during childbirth.Conclusion:More male partners had the intention to accompany their spouses during childbirth compared to their female partners. Male attitudes and subjective norms may be influential in determining male involvement during childbirth in rural African settings.

Knowledge and Attitude of Men on Contraception Methods

Family planning refers to a conscious effort by a couple to limit or space the number of children they have through the use of contraceptive methods. Family planning in the global health field often revolves around women and girls. It is often regarded as the woman's responsibility, but there is growing recognition of the need to involve men in family planning programs.
 One of the most serious problems of developing countries still have to solve is their rapid and uncontrolled increase in population. It is well documented that men’s general knowledge and attitudes concerning the ideal family size, gender preference of children, ideal spacing between child births, and contraceptive method use greatly influence women’s preferences and opinions. Family planning has traditionally been viewed as the woman's responsibility, but there has been a growing recognition of the need to involve men in family planning programs as a means of achieving reproductive health objectives, as well as attaining greater gender equity.

The other side of the same coin – How communal beliefs about entrepreneurship influence attitudes toward entrepreneurship

Drawing on the information processing perspective, this paper investigates how young adults' attitude toward entrepreneurship is shaped by their beliefs about the role and activities of entrepreneurs. Our first study (N = 129) reveals that young adults hold a biased set of beliefs. They believe that entrepreneurship affords agentic aspects (e.g., achievement, power, excitement), but significantly less believe in communal aspects which are, however, equally integral to entrepreneurship (e.g., interaction, pro-social behavior). In a subsequent experimental vignette study (N = 389), we show, that communicating the communal nature of entrepreneurship, specifically the pro-social aspects, improves both men's and women's attitude toward entrepreneurship. Overall, our research suggests that portrayals of occupations shape young adults' beliefs about career options and thereby influence their attitude toward respective careers.

Impact of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation on attitude to the therapy, aims in life and professional work in patients after myocardial infarction.

Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation aims to restore pathophysiological and psychosocial consequences of myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of the study was to assess how exercise-only-based cardiac rehabilitation (ECR) influences the attitude to the therapy (ATT), to the aims in life and professional work (AAL) amongst men and women after MI. The study comprised 44 post-MI patients: 28 men and 16 women, mean age 58±10 years old, referred to ECR. Patients underwent 24 interval cycle ergometer trainings 3 times a week. At the beginning and after the training program (TP) each patient underwent exercise stress test (EST) and was scored to ATT and ALL based on the Psychological Effects of Rehabilitation Score Scale (PERSS) according to Tylka and Makowska. The analysis covered: 1) EST findings: maximal workload and test duration (min), 2) ATT and AAL based on PERSS, 3) resuming professional work. Exercise capacity improved significantly after TP. Attitude to the aims in life and professional work significantly increased in the whole group (4.4±2.8 vs. 5.1±2.4, p < 0.01) and separately in men (4.5±2.9 vs. 5.1±2.5, p < 0.05) and women (4.3±2.6 vs. 5.0±2.0, p < 0.05). Attitude to the therapy did not change significantly in the whole group (5.6±2.8 vs. 6.0±2.8) and in men (5.9±2.9 vs. 6.0±2.9), but increased significantly in women (5.0±2.5 vs. 6.1±2.7, p < 0.05). Professional work was resumed, averagely by 86.4% of all patients (85.7% men and 87.5% women). Physical training beneficially influenced post-MI men's and women's attitude to the aims in life, professional work and attitude to the therapy in women. Med Pr. 2019;70(1):1-7.

Qualitative research on factors of HIV testing among men who have sex with men in China based on Blued

Objective: To understand the cognition and attitudes of men who have sex with men (MSM) towards HIV testing and explore in-depth reasons preventing them from testing. Methods: The function of "opinion" in Blued, a gay geo-social networking application (GSN), was adopted to collect qualitative data of ideas and attitudes towards HIV testing of the users between December 2017 and January 2018. The data was analyzed based on grounded theory approach. Results: 28 269 Blued users participated in the activity and 1 977 posted comments. Four key themes were identified, i.e. no/low risk of contracting HIV, stigmatization of HIV testing, long-term relationship and conventional impediments of HIV testing. Conclusion: The cognition and attitudes of the target population derived from the analysis of "opinion" function in Blued, such as the stigmatization of the behavior of HIV testing influencing the attitude of HIV testing, could help researchers build a more accurate detection and promotion strategy instead of a very general intervention on the public.

Языковая картина духовно-нравственных ценностей как культурный код народа

The article deals with the language Weltbild of spiritual and moral values as an integral part of the Weltbild of a particular people and its identification code that forms the person’s attitude to the world and sets the norms of his behavior. Language as a moral category, stores peoples’ knowledge about their environment and ambience and contributes to shaping worldview common for its native speakers. Linguistic consciousness of the people stores not only their past and defines the future, but preserves spiritual and moral values as well. Spiritual and moral values reflect the attitude of men to the universe and set the norms of their behavior. In the natural language that reproduces a certain way of conceptualizing the world, meanings are arranged in a system of values shared by the native speakers of a certain culture. Weltbild that reflects spiritual and moral values of a particular people, is verbalized in the language Weltbild. The power of a word should not be underestimated as with the worlt does not only start the real life of homo sapiens but his spiritual life too. Words are always used to induce people to change their inner and outer lives. The commandments passed through language turn it from the means of communication into one of the highest spiritual values. Language always affects men, inspiring them, destroying them and urging them to act.

Boomerang Effects of Sexual-Violence Prevention Messages on College Men's Attitudes

Background: Sexual assault is a serious public health problem in the U.S. Although colleges and universities receiving federal funding are required to provide sexual violence prevention and awareness programs, initiatives aimed specifically at college men remain relatively uncommon. Furthermore, assessments of the effectiveness of such programs suggest that most do not contribute to the prevention of sexual violence on college campuses.Aim: This study investigates the prevalence and malleability of attitudes that underlie sexually violent behaviors perpetrated by self-identified heterosexual, cisgender male college students against college women.Methods: Seventy-one self-identified heterosexual, cisgender, full-time undergraduate male students, all at low risk for committing sexual assault, participated in a pretest-posttest online experiment. They were randomly assigned to one control condition and two experimental sexual-assault-prevention interventions featuring a female or a male speaker.Results: The experimental conditions did not have the intended effects of eliciting attitudes that would further the prevention of sexual violence on college campuses. The experimental conditions were, in fact, less effective on some measures than the control condition.Conclusions: The findings suggest a boomerang effect, which refers to a persuasive outcome opposite to the desired one. Previous research has pointed to boomerang effects of sexual-assault prevention programs among high-risk men. The results of this study suggest a boomerang effect is also evident among college men at low risk for committing sexual assault.

Attitudes Toward Genomic Testing and Prostate Cancer Research Among Black Men

Black men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at nearly twice the rate of white men and are underrepresented in prostate cancer research, including validation studies of new clinical tools (e.g., genomic testing). Because healthcare system mistrust has contributed to these disparities for centuries, black men may be less inclined to pursue novel testing, and identification of facilitators to their participation in prostate cancer research studies remains warranted. A community-engaged approach involving a partnership with a community organization was used to conduct seven focus groups in Minnesota, Alabama, and California to explore black men's attitudes toward prostate cancer research participation and genomic testing for prostate cancer. Data were collected and analyzed from April 2015 to April 2017. Identified genomic testing barriers included a lack of terminology understanding, healthcare system mistrust, reluctance to seek medical care, and unfavorable attitudes toward research. Facilitators included family history, value of prevention, and the desire for health education. Lack of prostate cancer knowledge, prostate-specific antigen testing confusion, healthcare system distrust, and misuse of personal health information were barriers to research study participation. Some black men were motivated to participate in research if it was seen as constructive and transparent. Disparities for black men can both motivate and disincentivize participation depending upon a positive or negative view of research. Confusion over prostate cancer clinical care has fueled some mistrust among black men affecting both clinical care and research participation. With increased education, health literacy, and assurances of research integrity and transparency, black men may be more willing to participate in prostate cancer testing and research. This article is part of a supplement entitled African American Men's Health: Research, Practice, and Policy Implications, which is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

“It's her body”: low-income men's perceptions of limited reproductive agency

ObjectivesWhile some attention has been paid to men's contraceptive use and attitudes in international contexts, relatively little is known about the attitudes towards contraception and pregnancy of low-income, urban men in the U.S. Study designWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 58 low-income men in Pittsburgh, PA, to explore their perspectives on contraception, pregnancy, fatherhood, and relationships. We analyzed the interviews using a combination of content analysis, the constant comparison method, and thematic analysis. ResultsMen who we interviewed frequently described feeling that they lacked agency regarding when pregnancies occurred and whether or not they became fathers. Several factors contributed to their sense of low agency, including the belief that women should control contraception and reproduction, a reluctance to have conversations about contraception in some contexts, a lack of acceptable male-controlled contraceptive methods, experiences with pregnancy-promoting behaviors by women, and fatalistic attitudes towards pregnancy occurrence. ConclusionsMany men in our study described perceptions of limited reproductive agency. In describing their lack of agency, men reinforced contemporary gender norms in which the “work” of pregnancy prevention is a woman's responsibility. Responses to men's perceived limited reproductive agency should work towards deconstructing gendered norms in the work of pregnancy prevention and promote shared and mutual gender responsibility over reproduction while also supporting women's reproductive autonomy. ImplicationsThis study identifies several factors that contribute to low-income men's sense of low reproductive agency and highlights the complexity of acknowledging men's feelings and perceptions about reproductive control in the broader context of gender and power.

The Politics of Attack through Gendered Hausa Proverbs

Proverb may be defined as “pieces of folk wisdom expressed with terseness and charm. The "terseness implies a certain economy in the choice of words and a sharpness of focus, while the "charm" conveys the touch of literary or poetic beauty in the expression”. Apart from giving insights into human behaviour and psychology, Hausa proverbs serve as mirrors of the cultural norms and values of the society. They are employed not only to entertain, educate, advice but most often to buttress a point, and to give an argument universal acceptability. Patriarchy as a social system which has been in existence over the centuries most often make certain that members of the opposite sex sustain conditioned behaviours toward one another. Varying views and expectations about masculinity and femininity have to a large extent affected the socio-cultural beliefs and attitudes of men and women in Hausa society. Gender proverbs in Hausa society are very common. They deal with among other things gender relations and the status the different sexes accord each other. This paper, therefore attempts an appraisal of gender based proverbs which have over time been used as tool of attack by the different sexes in Hausa society.

Interest in, willingness-to-pay for and willingness-to-recommend genetic testing for prostate cancer among affected men after radical prostatectomy.

Knowledge about interest in genetic testing and willingness-to-pay for a genetic test among men affected from prostate cancer (PCa) is limited. This study aimed to gain insight into men's attitudes in genetic testing for PCa. 4699 men with PCa from the German multicenter prospective database "Familial Prostate Cancer" were included. Interest in, Willingness-to-pay for and Willingness-to-recommend a genetic test for PCa were quantified. Associations with several sociodemographic and psychosocial variables were evaluated by logistic regression. 76.8% of the affected men with a median follow-up of 12.9years were interested in a genetic test for PCa. Newly identified variables significantly associated with interest were having sons (OR 1.66, p < 0.001) and a high perceived severity of the PCa (OR 1.40, p < 0.001). 19% of men were willing to pay more than 500€ for a genetic test. Men with higher education, men with a better self-reported economic situation and men with a lethal PCa in their family were more likely to be willing to pay a larger sum for a test. 84.9% of men were willing to recommend a test to their relatives. Interest in genetic testing for PCa among affected men was generally high with most men willing to recommend a test to their relatives. Various characteristics associated with interest and willingness-to-pay larger sums for genetic testing were uncovered and need to be addressed when designing both future educational material and genetic tests for PCa.

Child protection and fathering where there is domestic violence: Contradictions and consequences

AbstractChildren live in different contexts of protection and vulnerability when exposed to domestic violence. The negative impacts for many children are consistent and widely acknowledged. However, the implication that this requires men who use violence to address their fathering has been slower to emerge. This article draws from 69 in‐depth qualitative interviews with men, women, and workers across four men's behaviour change programmes in rural Victoria, Australia. Particular attention is given to men's attitudes to their fathering and the formal and informal consequences they experienced as a result of their violence and its impact on their fathering. Although most men came to recognize that their violence impacted their children, they failed to make the connection that the involvement of statutory child protection services in their lives was a direct consequence of their abusive behaviour. This article explores this disconnection by fathers who use violence, their attitude to the involvement of statutory child protection services, and identifies the implications for social work practitioners in addressing this issue.

Gender Norms, Violence in Childhood, and Men's Coercive Control in Marriage: A Multilevel Analysis of Young Men in Bangladesh.

Coercive control in marriage is common in patriarchal settings, but multilevel determinants are understudied. Using a probability sample of 570 junior men (married, 18-34 years) from the Bangladesh survey of the 2011 UN Multi-Country Study of Men and Violence, we examined how exposure to violence in childhood and community-level gender norms were related to men's attitudes about gender equity and use of controlling behavior. We tested whether community-level gender norms moderated the relationship between men's exposure to violence in childhood and our outcomes. According to results from multilevel Poisson regression models, as community gender norms become more equitable by 1 standard deviation, a junior married man's expected rate of controlling behavior is lower by 0.11, and his rate of agreement with gender equitable attitudes is higher by 0.27. More gender-equitable community norms were negatively related to a junior married man's use of controlling behavior. Childhood exposure to violence was not associated with use of controlling behavior. There was a significant cross-level interaction such that exposure to violence had a stronger negative impact on men's gender equitable attitudes in communities with lower overall gender equity than those with higher overall gender equity. The corresponding cross-level interaction effect was not significant for the controlling behavior outcome. More equitable community gender norms may encourage more gender-equitable attitudes and discourage use of controlling behavior among junior men, suggesting that interventions to change community gender norms may reduce coercive control of women in marriage.

Mate Yako Afya Yako: Formative research to develop the Tanzania HIV self-testing education and promotion (Tanzania STEP) project for men.

The purpose of this formative research, guided by the Integrated Behavioral Model, was to assess men’s attitudes and personal agency towards HIV self-testing (HIVST) and confirmatory HIV testing in order to inform the development of the Tanzania STEP (Self-Testing Education and Promotion) Project, a peer-based HIV self-testing intervention for young men in Tanzania. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania who socialize in networks locally referred to as “camps”. Men reported privacy, confidentiality, and saving time as the primary reasons for their self-testing interest. Most participants had high perceived control and self-efficacy to self-test and seek confirmatory HIV testing. Nevertheless, men reported concerns related to their ability to perform the test and the potential lack of post-test counseling. Specific recommendations for the intervention included providing HIVST education and pre-test counseling, and using mobile health (mHealth) strategies for participants to reach a healthcare professional for further assistance. The findings suggest that while HIVST is highly acceptable among men in Tanzania, future interventions will need to address the challenges that men may face with HIVST before promoting it as an alternative or supplement to facility-based HIV testing.

Bioética na Pesquisa Engenharia Biomédica: diminuição do uso de animais em experimentos científicos

Atividades de pesquisa utilizando animais são realizadas desde a antiguidade, o bem-estar do animal não era prioridade. Com a evolução da pesquisa, houve, também, a crescente preocupação com a ética e métodos que poderiam substituir o uso de cobaias animais nos experimentos científicos. Tal conscientização manifestou-se já no início do século XIX, na Inglaterra, com o surgimento de movimentos que se dedicavam a mudar as atitudes do homem em relação aos animais. Desde então, ativistas argumentam que métodos alternativos são capazes de substituir a utilização de animais em pesquisa, e que, por isso, a utilização de seres vivos é considerada como obsoleta. Por outro lado, alguns cientistas argumentam que a experimentação é o que traz frutos das pesquisas. O presente trabalho apresenta um levantamento de dissertações e teses defendidas no Instituto de Biologia da Universidade de Brasília no ano de 2017 que realizaram testes in vitro e in vivo além de trazer uma reflexão sobre o assunto e visa ressaltar as vantagens do uso de métodos alternativos. Para este estudo, foram utilizados artigos e dissertações das bases de dados CAPES e PubMed, bem como outras referências presentes neles. Concluiu-se que, embora não haja tecnologia suficiente para erradicar o uso de animais em experimentos, existem diversos métodos alternativos que não comprometem o estudo realizado.&#x0D; Palavras-chave: Experimentação animal, bioética, bem-estar animal, ética em pesquisa, engenharia biomédic&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Attitudes towards family formation among men attending fertility counselling.

Men and women are increasingly postponing childbearing until an age where fertility has decreased, meaning that they might have difficulties in achieving their desired family size. This study explored childless men's attitudes towards family formation. Data were collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 21 men attending the Fertility Assessment and Counselling Clinic in Copenhagen or Horsens, Denmark. Data were analysed using content analysis. The men envisioned a nuclear family with their own biological children, but they experienced doubts and ambivalence about parenthood and feeling ‘ready’. Their lack of readiness was linked to their awareness of the sacrifices and costs involved with parenthood, and their belief that they could safely delay parenthood. The men did not consider that they may be unable to have their own biological children. This study highlights the importance of considering men's attitudes and preferences towards family formation when understanding couples' decision-making. Contrary to common understanding, the findings show that men are as concerned with the planning and timing of parenthood as women, but their knowledge of the age-related decline in fertility is poor. Men need to gain more awareness of the limitations of fertility and the impact of female and male age on the ability to achieve parenthood aspirations.

Young Women and Men's Attitude towards Childbearing

Background & aim: Attitude is taken into account as the most important determinant of behavior. However, the present knowledge considering opinions of the youths on the verge of marriage is not sufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the attitudes towards childbearing in women and men on the verge of marriage attending health centers in Mashhad, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 on 170 women and 100 men referring to the premarital counseling centers. The participants were selected through convenience sampling method. The data were collected using the Childbearing Attitudes Scale and analyzed by descriptive statistics and independent t-test by the SPSS. Results: The mean scores of attitudes to childbearing in women and men were 164.03±21.62 and 158.86±24.91, respectively, with no significant difference (P=0.11). The mean desired number of children was 2.23±1.01 in women and 2.14±0.9 in men. There were significant differences between the attitudes of women and men in terms of the impacts of childbirth on women�s body shape (P=0.01), childbearing as one of the purposes of human creation (P=0.04), and the relationship between the number of children and their upbringing quality (P=0.002). A significant relationship was found between the attitudes and ideal number of children (P=0.001). Conclusion: Attitudes towards childbearing among young adults on the verge of marriage were not so favorable. Consequently, it is essential to implement comprehensive training programs in order to enhance the positive views both in women and men towards childbearing.

Top, Bottom, and Versatile Anal Sex Roles in Same-Sex Male Relationships: Implications for Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction.

Across much of the gay and bisexual male research on sexual position self-label (i.e., calling oneself a top, bottom, or versatile), there exist two commonalities: (1) studies tend to focus almost entirely on individual, relationally single androphilic men; (2) studies rarely account for relationships and relationship dynamics. In response, we explored the role of self-label over sexual and relationship satisfaction among gay and bisexual partnered men. Specifically, we looked at whether adopted sexual position identities were consonant or dissonant (i.e., matching or mismatching) with enacted behavior in relationships and how that impacted men's attitudes toward different relational attributes. Through an online survey, we sampled 169 men in same-sex relationships, asking them questions about their ideal penetrative role identities and their reality penetrative roles with their partner. We then asked them to rate their relationship on 10 sexual and interpersonal attributes. Multiple regression modeling suggested ideal-reality penetrative role dissonance was predictive of sexual dissatisfaction among tops who bottomed in their relationships and, to a lesser extent, bottoms who topped. In contrast, penetrative role dissonance was predictive of relationship satisfaction among tops who bottomed in their relationship, but not bottoms who topped. We conclude that a potential reason for this paradox among tops who bottom may be sexual altruism. That is, men may be satisfied with other aspects within their relationships, understand their partner's anal sex preferences, and accommodate that position in response to their initial relationship satisfaction.

Women are scaredy-cats and men are conquerors?

The European legal framework requires that financial consultants assess their clients’ risk tolerance before advising them on investments. The study aims at further testing an alternative measure to quantify the risk attitudes of investors: The Implicit Association Test (IAT). This study examines differences in implicit, unconscious, and explicit cognitive attitudes of men and women. The results of the IAT are compared with their answers from a risk tolerance questionnaire used by practitioners and self-selected asset allocation (portfolio). The data show that implicit attitude, and, thus, unconscious and uncontrolled thinking, can differ from conscious processes. Furthermore, in this study, there is no gender gap in risk attitude and risk tolerance. The findings suggest that experience and financial knowledge are likely the most important determinants of risk attitudes with no significant difference between men and women.