Movember: Health Checks At Every Life Stage

"Overwhelming men with information about checks that are not necessary for their age can prevent them taking action..."

Movember has become a major force in men's health promotion and this level of engagement in the community offers avenues for reaching men and women about preventative health in a way that wasn't always possible.

In 2012, Movember has taken a broader approach to the range of men it targets and its Movember & Sons campaign offers engagement of younger and older men through a life course approach. The campaign also paves the way for opportunities to engage sons, fathers and grandfathers to engage in discussions around health and wellbeing.

Age-Specific Health Focus

The benefit of an approach that considers what men should look for is that it focuses them on what is important and reduces distraction from low-risk issues. Overwhelming men with information about checks that are not necessary for their age can prevent them taking action.

It is also a useful way to provide others with a way to become mindful of the kinds of health issues that they should be aware of in male family members at different ages. For example, even cholesterol testing is advised for men in their twenties, which is not often included in young men's health checks.

Implications For Services

Services can use the energy and awareness generated by Movember and other campaigns including Men's Health Week  to draw attention in the community to relevant health checks.

For organisers of events that target a specifc male demographic, it is worthwhile giving thought as to what the most important issues are and also what the issues are that are not often publicised to that age group.