Men's Physical Health Research Articles

Psychological impact of urological disorders on men's mental health: the need for integrated support

Urological disorders impact men's physical health and mental wellbeing, necessitating integrated mental health support within urology. This article examines the psychological distress associated with conditions like prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction, compounded by societal expectations that often discourage men from seeking help. It highlights the importance of a holistic care model that addresses physical symptoms and psychological impacts. The authors advocate for a paradigm shift towards comprehensive care, enhanced training for urologists and dismantling societal stigma to improve patient outcomes and establish a new standard in men's health care.

Men's physical health and life history transitions in the Philippines: Evidence for ‘marital selection’ but not protective effects of partnering and fatherhood

In Euro-American societies, married people typically have lower overall risks for total mortality and for certain chronic conditions compared to non-married people. However, people becoming partnered and parents also tend to gain weight in Euro-American settings. Few studies have tested whether links between physical health and life history status translate to other cultural contexts where the socio-ecological dynamics of family life may differ. This limits the application of these insights to men's well-being in global public health. To help address this gap, we drew on a large, long-running birth cohort study of Filipino men, using data collected at three waves between 2005 and 2014 when men were 21.5–30.5 years old (N = 607, obs. = 1760). We tested for the effects of the transition to partnering (marriage/cohabitation) and fatherhood on men's physical health (waist circumference, fat-free mass index, and grip strength). Men becoming partnered or partnered fathers (P/PF) had comparable longitudinal physical health trajectories to men remaining single non-fathers. However, men who became P/PF by their mid 20s had higher fat-free mass index values than single non-fathers at each wave, with the largest effect observed when all men were single non-fathers at baseline. Men who became P/PF by their early 30s were also stronger than the reference group at baseline. Thus, men who were more muscular and stronger at baseline were more likely to transition to P/PF status, consistent with a ‘marital selection’ model. In complementary analyses, men did not exhibit adverse health effects when they became partnered fathers as young adults or parents to infants, respectively. These findings suggest that links between health and life history transitions in this setting differ from those commonly observed in Euro-American societies. While transitions to marriage and fatherhood are promising windows for interventions to improve men's health, our results highlight the importance of tailoring such approaches to local dynamics.

Research progress on the treatment of premature ejaculation by integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common condition that troubles men in today's society, which significantly influences men's mental health and the relationship between spouses. Both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine are currently the preferred treatment options for PE. When treating PE with both traditional Chinese and Western medicine, two sets of treatment plans are briefly introduced: internal treatment and external treatment. In the internal treatment method, the popular TCM formulas in recent years were introduced, their therapeutic effects and principles on PE were described, and the results of analyzing the effective ingredients of TCM monomers from the perspective of molecular biology in recent years were also presented. Then the mechanism of their treatment of PE was explained and their efficacy and safety was compared with Western medicine in treating PE; in terms of external treatment, the current mainstream treatment schemes were introduced, such as acupuncture and moxibustion, liquid medicine external application, massage desensitization and behavioral psychotherapy, and their advantages and disadvantages were elaborated. Finally, the theoretical treatment of PE was put into practice through rational criticism and analysis to improve men's physical health and promote the development of the TCM culture.

CHRDL1, NEFH, TAGLN and SYNM as novel diagnostic biomarkers of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are common male diseases whose incidence rates gradually increase with age. They seriously affect men's physical health and quality of life. This study aimed to identify new biomarkers for the diagnosis of BPH and PCa. Two datasets, GSE28204 and GSE134051 (including human PCa and BPH), were downloaded from the GEO database. The batch effect was removed for merging, and then differential gene expression analysis was conducted to identify BPH and PCa cases. The diagnostic biomarkers of BPH and PCa were further screened using machine learning and bioinformatics. ROC curves were drawn to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the selected biomarkers. An online website and qPCR were used to preliminarily explore the expression levels of PCa biomarkers. The correlations between the expression of biomarkers and the tumor microenvironment, tumor mutation load and immunotherapy drugs were evaluated. We identified fifteen genes (CHRDL1, DES, FLNC, GSTP1, MYL9, TGFB3, NEFH, TAGLN, SPARCL1, SYNM, TRPM8, HPN, PLA2G7, ENTPD5 and GPR160) as critical diagnostic biomarkers. After reviewing the literature on all selected biomarkers, we found few studies on the four genes CHRDL1, NEFH, TAGLN and SYNM in BPH or PCa. We defined these four genes as new potential diagnostic biomarkers (NPDBs) of BPH and PCa. All NPDBs were downregulated in PCa patients and PCa cell lines and upregulated in BPH patients and cell lines. When the immune landscape and mutation frequencies were analyzed, the results showed that the tumor microenvironment (TME), immune landscape, tumor mutation burden, and drug response were significantly correlated with NPDB expressions. We found four new diagnostic markers of BPH and PCa, which may facilitate the early diagnosis, treatment, and immunotherapeutic responses assessment and may be of major value in guiding clinical practice.

“A country boy can survive:” Rural culture and male-targeted suicide prevention messaging

The low rate of help-seeking and high rate of suicide completion among men has prompted public health officials to create suicide prevention campaigns that specifically target men. Drawing from data collected as part of a larger study of fire recovery in a rural county in Northern California, this paper utilizes 68 interviews with fire survivors (24 men and 44 women) and 40 interviews with mental health service providers to examine how rural residents interpret this type of campaign. To track patterns of help-seeking over time, I also draw upon 26 follow-up interviews – 20 with fire survivors (7 men and 13 women) and 6 with service providers – conducted one year after the first wave of interviews. In total, 134 in-depth interviews were conducted. This paper also draws on a secondary data source; I conducted content analysis of an internal Health and Human Services Agency focus group report used in the development of a local male-targeted suicide prevention campaign, Captain Awesome. As I show, male-targeted suicide prevention efforts have little salience in rural communities in which treatment resources are limited and stigma abounds. Perceptions about material conditions – i.e., treatment resources being few and far between – contribute to residents establishing a norm of not seeking help. Rural culture which emphasizes self-sufficiency and independence contributes to a pattern of both men and women repeating a narrative that frames men who seek help as weak. While research has identified women as key drivers for men's physical health maintenance, my research suggests that the same pattern might not hold around mental health maintenance in rural settings. In sum, I argue that male-targeted campaigns have limited resonance and efficacy in rural communities where material conditions and cultural narratives create physical and psychological barriers to accessing to treatment.

Marital Religious Homogamy and Dimensions of Well-Being in Later Life: Evidence From the United States

Past research points to the importance of couple-level religious similarity for multiple dimensions of older adults’ partnership quality and stability, but we have a limited understanding of whether religious homogamy matters for the well-being of seniors. This study uses dyadic data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a representative sample of 953 individuals ages 62–91 plus their marital or cohabiting partners. Using actor-partner interdependence models in the general structural equation model framework (GSEM), we find that religious attendance homogamy is beneficial for the physical health of men and the mental health and self-reported happiness of women. There were no associations between religious homogamy for religious importance detected. Taken together, our results attest to the ongoing importance of religious similarity—service attendance, in particular—for mental and physical well-being in later life. Future research is needed to more fully examine which mechanisms account for these patterns.

Improving Physical and Mental Health in Patients with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy: Strategies to Promote and Improve Physical Activity Quality and Quantity.

Prostate cancer continues to be one of the highest-incident cancers among men. Reducing serum testosterone with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a common effective treatment. While well-demonstrated for cancer suppression, there are numerous adverse effects caused by ADT that can contribute to short- and long-term prognosis. Increased levels of physical activity (PA) during treatment may reduce these side effects. However, uptake of PA is low. The purpose of this review is to identify and evaluate the current literature on strategies to promote and increase the levels of PA in patients with prostate cancer undergoing ADT. Electronic databases including CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Scopus, and grey literature were searched using Google Scholar up until April 2020. At present the most appropriate modes and dosages of PA for specific ADT toxicities is not known. It is established that some PA in the form of exercise, whether aerobic or resistance, is better than being sedentary for improvements in physical health, but beyond this prescription specifics have not been established. Further research is required to understand the impact of PA on the mental and physical health of men with prostate cancer undergoing ADT. Being physically active and avoiding sedentary behaviour is important for men with prostate cancer undergoing ADT, especially the implementation of strength training. PA in the form of exercise can assist in reducing the adverse physical side effects in the short- and long-term, with limited understanding of the effects on mental health. PA improves mental health outcomes across populations, which may also translate to men with prostate cancer, although further research is required. An important strategy to improve PA within the prostate cancer population is to provide an early referral to an exercise professional, such as an accredited exercise physiologist/clinical exercise physiologist or physical therapist/physiotherapist, and is supported by research as best practice for people affected by cancer undergoing active treatment.

Bias and discrimination against men with overweight in the military.

Research on weight-bias against men and/or in the military is scarce. Such a bias might cause some military members, who are otherwise fit to perform their duties, to suffer from discrimination and undue stress. We showed military personnel a picture of a soldier who had either normal weight or overweight. In both conditions, the description of the soldier stated that his physical fitness and job-related skills were good. Nonetheless, the soldier’s suitability for promotion was rated lower in the overweight condition. These findings improve our understanding of the impact of bias on the mental and physical health of men with overweight.

Impact of male-only lifestyle interventions on men's mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Despite rising mental health problems worldwide, engaging men to seek mental health support is challenging. Male-only lifestyle interventions have shown promise for improving men's physical health, but the overall impact of these programs on psychological outcomes is unclear. This review aimed to evaluate the impact of male-only lifestyle interventions on men's mental health and to identify if any study or intervention features were associated with effectiveness. A systematic literature search with no date restrictions was conducted across four databases and returned 15 946 citations. Nine studies were eligible for inclusion, representing 1427 participants. Risk of bias was generally low across studies, although none were specifically powered to detect changes in mental health. Overall, significant group-by-time effects were reported for 26% of mental health outcomes examined. In the fixed-effects meta-analyses, small-to-medium intervention effects were observed for mental health-related quality of life (SMD = 0.24), self-esteem (SMD = 0.51), and positive affect (SMD = 0.58). Insights into effective study or intervention features were limited because of the low number of heterogeneous studies. Although male-only lifestyle interventions have improved men's mental health in some circumstances, studies that are specifically powered to detect long-term changes are urgently required, particularly in groups with pre-existing mental health concerns.

Mental health outcomes of male-only lifestyle behaviour change interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Poor mental health in men is an increasing global health concern, but men are reluctant to participate in traditional mental health treatments. Male-only interventions targeting lifestyle behaviours (e.g., physical activity) have shown promise for improving men's physical health, but the impact of these programs on psychological outcomes has not been evaluated. This systematic review was conducted to examine the impact of male-only lifestyle behaviour change interventions on men's mental health.

The Physical Health of Men and Boys: Integrating Biomedical and Psychological Science.

Rigid adherence to traditional male norms has been found to be associated with many health outcomes. This special issue aims to bring together biomedical and psychological researchers as a means to generate interest in integrating scientific approaches so as to advance the health of men and boys. In this guest editorial, the authors first provide a brief review of some key biological factors that contribute to sex differences in health. The editorial then introduces the ten articles included in this special issue, which focus on paternal influence on health-related behaviors; cancer; reproductive and sexual health; eating disorders; and health-related beliefs. Ultimately, by continuing to work across disciplines, those interested in the psychological study of men and masculinities can assist biomedical researchers in promoting better health outcomes.

Вивчення рівня фізичного здоров’я юнаків гірських районів Закарпаття за метаболічним рівнем аеробного та анаеробного енергозабезпечення в залежності від компонентного складу тіла

Вивчення рівня фізичного здоров’я юнаків гірських районів Закарпаття за метаболічним рівнем аеробного та анаеробного енергозабезпечення в залежності від компонентного складу тіла

Вивчення рівня фізичного здоров’я юнаків низинних районів Закарпаття за метаболічним рівнем аеробного та анаеробного енергозабезпечення в залежності від компонентного складу тіла

Вивчення рівня фізичного здоров’я юнаків низинних районів Закарпаття за метаболічним рівнем аеробного та анаеробного енергозабезпечення в залежності від компонентного складу тіла

What factors are related to self-perceived health? The relationship between Sense of Coherence, behaviors and health on Peruvian emerging adults

The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between Sense of Coherence (SOC), health behaviors and self-perceived physical and mental health in men and women. 448 undergraduate students participated in this study. The mean age was 21.3 years old (SD=1.95). SOC, leisure time and sleep predicted better mental health in men. Comprehensibility, leisure time, sleep and physical activity predicted physical health in men. Only manageability and meaningfulness predicted mental health in women. In this group, Manageability, leisure time, physical activity and diet predicted physical health. These results can be used to help design strategies to encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors and healthier coping strategies in late adolescents and emerging adults.

Bullying and Being Bullied in Childhood Are Associated With Different Psychosocial Risk Factors for Poor Physical Health in Men

Bullying and being bullied in childhood are both linked with later adjustment problems. The impact of childhood bullying on risk for poor physical health in adulthood is understudied. Black and White men (n = 305; mean age = 32.3 years) enrolled in the Pittsburgh Youth Study since the first grade underwent a comprehensive assessment of psychosocial, behavioral, and biological risk factors for poor health. Indices of bullying and being bullied were created by averaging annual ratings collected from participants and their caregivers when the participants were 10 to 12 years old. Results showed that being a bully in childhood was associated with greater stress and aggression and poorer health behaviors in adulthood, whereas being a victim of bullies in childhood was associated with lower socioeconomic resources, less optimism, and greater unfair treatment in adulthood. Unexpectedly, neither bullying nor being bullied in childhood was related to inflammation or metabolic syndrome. Bullying and being bullied in childhood were associated with distinct domains of psychosocial risk in adulthood that may later lead to poor physical health.

Disease and Dowry: Community Context, Gender, and Adult Health in India

Despite growing research on health and residential contexts, relatively little is understood about gendered contexts that are differentially important for women's and men's physical health in low- and middle-income countries. This study advances the prior knowledge by examining whether the local frequency of a salient and gendered practice in India—dowry—is associated with gender differences in physical health (acute illness, illness length, and chronic illness). Analyses are conducted using multilevel logistic and negative binomial regression models and national data on men and women across India (N = 102,763). Results show that as dowry frequency increases in communities, not only do women have a greater likelihood of poor health across all three health outcomes, but men also have a greater likelihood of acute illness and illness length. Men, however, have a lower likelihood of chronic illness as the frequency of dowry increases in communities. In the case of all three health outcomes, results showed consistently wider health gaps between men and women in communities with a higher frequency of dowry.

Androgenic steroid composition of the hexane/methanol whole plant extract of Solanecio tuberosus (Selbilla) around Lake Tana Northwest Ethiopia

The plant kingdom is a treasure house of potential drugs. Steroids are very important molecules that mediate a wide range of biological functions in the human body. Today, there is no study reporting the androgenic steroid content of Solanecio tuberosus extract. In this study, the androgenic steroid content of hexane/methanol extract of S. tuberosus was analyzed by Fourier transform (FT)-infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, FT-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and thin layer chromatography. Androgenic steroid derivatives such as predinsolone, testosterone cypionate, and methyltestostrone were identified. The present study showed that S. tuberosus can be considered as a potential remedy to improve the sexual and physical health of men as they go aged and in testosterone deficient condition if further studies are conducted on safety and efficacy of the plant material.

Perceived Self-efficacy in Alimentary Care and Physical Health in Mexican University Students, Comparisons by Gender

The objective of this research was to compare the profiles of perceived self-efficacy in alimentary care behaviors and physical health of men and women university students. The overall sample consisted of 1313 subjects; 710 women and 603 men students of the degrees offered at the Faculty of Physical Culture of the Autonomous University of Chihuahua, with an average age of 20.46 years (SD = 1.87). The approach adopted in the research was framed within a quantitative approach with a descriptive design survey type. The differences found between men and women regarding their perception of self-efficacy in the care of their diet and physical health, suggest that when designing any intervention that aims to improve perceived self-efficacy must be taken into account the gender variable. Future research should replicate these findings in larger samples.

Examination of the association between mental health, morbidity, and mortality in late life: findings from longitudinal community surveys.

Physical health has been demonstrated to mediate the mental health and mortality risk association. The current study examines an alternative hypothesis that mental health mediates the effect of physical health on mortality risk. Participants (N = 14,019; women = 91%), including eventual decedents (n = 3,752), were aged 70 years and older, and drawn from the Dynamic Analyses to Optimise Ageing (DYNOPTA) project. Participants were observed on two to four occasions, over a 10-year period. Mediation analysis compared the converse mediation of physical and mental health on mortality risk. For men, neither physical nor mental health was associated with mortality risk. For women, poor mental health reported only a small effect on mortality risk (Hazard Risk (HR) = 1.01; p < 0.001); more substantive was the risk of low physical health (HR = 1.04; p < 0.001). No mediation effects were observed. Mental health effects on mortality were fully attenuated by physical health in men, and partially so in women. Neither mental nor physical health mediated the effect of each other on mortality risk for either gender. We conclude that physical health is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than mental health.

Lower cumulative stress is associated with better health for physically active adults in the community

Both cumulative adversity, an individual’s lifetime exposure to stressors, and insufficient exercise are associated with poor health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether exercise buffers the association of cumulative adverse life events (CALE) with health in a community-wide sample of healthy adults (ages 18–50 years; women: n = 219, 29.5 ± 9.2 years; men: n = 176, 29.4 ± 8.7 years, mean ± standard deviation). Participants underwent the Cumulative Adversity Interview, which divides life events into three subsets: major life events (MLE), recent life events (RLE) and traumatic experiences (TLE). These individuals also completed the Cornell Medical Index and a short assessment for moderate or greater intensity exercise behavior, modified from the Nurses’ Health Study. Results indicated that higher CALE was associated with greater total health problems (r = 0.431, p < 0.001). Interactions between stress and exercise were not apparent for RLE and TLE. However, at low levels of MLE, greater exercise was related to fewer total, physical, cardiovascular and psychological health problems (p value <0.05). Conversely, at high levels of MLE, the benefits of exercise appear to be absent. Three-way interactions were observed between sex, exercise and stress. Increased levels of exercise were related to better physical health in men, at all levels of CALE. Only women who reported both low levels of CALE and high levels of exercise had more favorable physical health outcomes. A similar pattern of results emerged for RLE. Together, these data suggest that increased exercise is related to better health, but these effects may vary by cumulative stress exposure and sex.