News

Cash Incentives Drive Weight Loss in Men

A major UK study, led by health experts at the University of Stirling, has found that offering financial incentives is effective in helping men to lose weight.  585 men living with obesity across Scotland, England and Northern Ireland took part in the research, and were randomly split into three groups.  One received daily supportive text messages plus the opportunity to earn £400 for meeting weight loss goals, the second received only text messages, and the third received no extra support or financial incentive.  The men were given targets of 5% weight loss at three months, 10% at six months and maintain 10% weight loss at 12 months - at which point the cash was paid to the group offered the monetary incentive.  The research found that, after one year, the men receiving both text messages and the opportunity to get cash lost the most weight.  Read more at: https://www.stir.ac.uk/news/2024/may-2024-news/cash-incentives-drive-weight-loss-in-men

Workplace Interventions Targeting Mental Health

Mental ill-health and suicide represent a significant proportion of the burden of global disease among men.  Connell’s relational theory of masculinities provides a useful framework to explore how mental health literacy, mental health stigma, and delayed help-seeking and help-offering behaviours are associated with mental ill-health among men - particularly within male-dominated industries. To address the high incidences of mental ill-health in male-dominated industries, several workplace interventions targeting these outcomes have been implemented.  However, no review, to date, has examined the current state of evidence for these interventions or identified the behaviour change techniques used.  A new journal article - titled 'Workplace Interventions Targeting Mental Health Literacy, Stigma, Help-Seeking and Help-Offering in Male-Dominated Industries: A Systematic Review' - explores this issue.  See: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15579883241236223

Exercise and Healthy Ageing Webinar

The Institute of Public Health (IPH) invites you to attend a free webinar titled ‘Exercise and Healthy Ageing’ on 24th October 2024.  This will focus on the role of physical activity in preventing, delaying or reversing frailty.  This webinar runs from 10.00am to Noon, and will include presentations from Professor Maria Fiatarone Singh (University of Sydney), Dr John Travers (Trinity College Dublin) and Alison Patterson (Public Health Agency).  Professor Roger O'Sullivan (IPH) will also chair a panel discussion / Q&A, with contributions from Leila Beattie (Age and Opportunity), Dr Ruth McCullagh (University College Cork), George Bell (Frailty Network) and Professor Roman Romero Ortuno (Trinity College Dublin).  Book a place at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HZG1svWLT0yAbVJpejvPWA#/registration

The Representation of Men in Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy

The Global Action on Men's Health (GAMH) report, 'Out of Focus: The representation of men in regional and global sexual and reproductive health policy', was published on the 4th of September 2024 (World Sexual Health Day).  This shows that men’s sexual and reproductive health is, in many respects, poor.  For example, men are more likely than women to acquire sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis and gonorrhoea or to be infected by HIV, sperm counts are falling globally, and male sexual dysfunctions - such as erectile dysfunction - are becoming more prevalent.  Men are also often reluctant users of services; partly because of gender norms that inhibit help-seeking, but also because services are not geared towards their needs.  You can download a copy of the report at: https://tinyurl.com/y2brar69