Men, It’s Time to Take Charge of Your Health

Posted on 05/27/2022 @ 08:17 AM

Tags: Health

By All of Us Research Program

It’s obvious that men face challenges from the health conditions that can affect everyone because health varies from person to person and across genders. Around the world, men die younger than women and have higher rates of heart disease, cancer, HIV, and obesity. Health inequalities like these are further increased among men of color.

But why? There are some preventable factors that contribute to poor health. Compared to women, men are more likely to have unhealthy behaviors, like having a poor diet, and are less likely to seek medical care. According to a recent survey, only 50% of men reported getting regular checkups. Nearly two-thirds of the male respondents said they avoid going to the doctor for as long as possible and 37% said they have withheld information from their doctors.

Differences in behavior like these are increased among men of color due to challenges such as accessing quality health care and lack of trust in the healthcare system as a result of past medical racism. Factors like these suggest why many men of color have been left out of the health research used to create prevention and treatment strategies for many diseases. As a result, we know less about their health and ways to provide them with the best care.

The All of Us Research Program wants to change this.

Created by Congress in 1994, Men’s Health Week aims to increase awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment in men. Getting regular checkups, as well as screenings for things like cholesterol and prostate or colorectal cancer, can help catch small problems before they become bigger. It’s never too late to start taking charge of your health. A simple way you can do so is by participating in the All of Us Research Program.

The All of Us Research Program aims to build a health database with information from one million or more people who reflect the rich diversity of the United States. By studying things like our lifestyle and environment, researchers can learn more about why certain people stay healthy and others, like men of color, have an increased risk of illnesses. What they learn may lead to new discoveries like better tools for detecting health conditions and encouraging healthy habits.

Learn more about how the All of Us Research Program is building a better future of health for all of us and how you can take part at LULAC.org/allofus.