American journal of men's health
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The purpose of this study is to examine gender differences in quality of life (QoL) and symptomatology in fibromyalgia (FM) patients. A total of 20 men (48.0 ± 8.0 years) and 78 women (49.8 ± 7.2 years) with FM participated in the study (age range 31-63 years). Health-related QoL and FM impact were assessed by means of the Spanish versions of the Short-Form-36 Health Survey (SF36) and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), respectively. ⋯ Therefore, women appear to feel more fatigue, whereas men present higher FM overall impact. Due to the small number of men included in this study and the consequent small statistical power, these results should be taken as preliminary. Higher powered studies are warranted to further address gender differences in FM in order to design more successful treatments.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of masculine and feminine traits in a national sample of male and female nursing students.
The stereotype that male nurses are less masculine has existed for generations and spans all age groups. Several studies have investigated masculinity and femininity in nurses using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, but the results are conflicting and inconclusive. ⋯ The males and females in the study both had higher mean scores on masculinity and femininity scales when compared with previous studies. The greatest percentage of participants were classified as androgynous, as opposed to masculine, feminine, or undifferentiated, with half of the males and nearly half of the females falling into this category.
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Depression can be a pathway to older men's suicide, yet the mechanisms by which this can occur are poorly understood. A qualitative study of 22 older men who self-identified or were formally diagnosed with depression was conducted to describe the connections between masculinity, depression, and suicide. ⋯ Stigma featured as a barrier for men acting on their suicidal thoughts, and guilt about the pain their suicide would evoke on family and friends was a strong deterrent for men's self-harm. Overall, participants' alignment to masculine ideals influenced both the connectedness and detachment between older men's depression and suicide.
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The study aimed to determine the effects of a 4-month Tai Chi intervention on tenderness, functional capacity, symptomatology, and quality of life in men with fibromyalgia. The effect of a 3-month detraining period was also analyzed. Six men with fibromyalgia (age 52.3 ± 9.3 years) followed a 4-month Tai Chi intervention. ⋯ Tenderness, symptomatology, and quality of life did not significantly change after the intervention period or the detraining phase. In summary, a 4-month Tai Chi intervention improved lower body flexibility in men with fibromyalgia. This improvement persisted after the detraining period.
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Masculinity is a social construction that defines itself according to context. Older men constitute an unseen minority when it comes to their health, and thus the study of masculinity as it relates to health in older men requires deeper understanding. This article offers insights into how gender, health, and ageing interact for older men and explores how men negotiate the concept of masculinity in later life. ⋯ In the second study, more than 2,000 men aged 55 to 97 years responded to a postal survey on health behaviors and masculinity. Results of the survey indicated that age predicts health behaviors and health care seeking better than scores on a masculinity index, which tended to remain stable regardless of age. Both the qualitative and quantitative findings support the hypothesis that with age men will succeed in incorporating actions into their daily lives in a way that does not conflict with their perceived resilience to frailty and weakness, even if such actions involve seeking help for illness or adopting healthier lifestyle behaviors.