Could the whole “tough guy” persona be taking a toll on men’s health? New research suggests that men who engage in traditionally masculine behaviors may actually have their lifespans cut short because they are much less likely to receive diagnoses and treatment for serious conditions.
The societal pressure to appear self-reliant and manly can lead to avoidance of medical care and pushing through pain and stress, which can impact heart health over time.
Researchers from the University of Chicago found that the pattern begins as early as adolescence and persists into adulthood, putting men at risk for cardiovascular issues.
In their new study, they tracked more than 4,000 American men from their teenage years to early adulthood, measuring their degree of male gender expressivity (MGE) and how it correlates to diagnoses and treatment for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Men who exhibited higher levels of masculine behavior were much less likely to receive diagnoses for these conditions, even when medical tests showed proof of them.
Among men with high blood pressure, those with higher MGE scores were four percent less likely to receive a diagnosis of hypertension.
The disparity was even wider for diabetes. Men were 15 percent less likely to receive a diagnosis for diabetes if they had higher adolescent MGE scores, even when their blood sugar levels indicated they had the condition.
“When we talk about gender expression, we’re not looking for anything physiologic that could be affected by the Y chromosome,” said Nathaniel Glasser, the lead author of the study and a general internist and pediatrician at UChicago Medicine.
“We’re purely focused on self-reported behaviors, preferences, and beliefs, and how closely these reported behaviors and attitudes resemble those of same-gendered peers.”
Syda Productions – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people – pictured above a man smiles while speaking to a female doctor
Furthermore, the men who did receive diagnoses were less likely to go through with treatment. Those with a hypertension diagnosis who displayed more masculine traits in adolescence were 11 percent less likely to take their prescribed blood pressure medications.
Men with higher masculine traits in young adulthood were seven percent less likely to take blood pressure medications and 10 percent less likely to take diabetes medications when diagnosed with these conditions.
“Our hypothesis is that social pressures are leading to behavioral differences that impact cardiovascular risk mitigation efforts, which is concerning because it could be leading to worse long-term health outcomes,” Glasser said.
The average age of the participants was 38 by the end of the study. The participants were 64 percent white, seven percent Asian American and Pacific Islander, 12 percent Hispanic, and 16 percent non-Hispanic Black.
The classic macho mindset may seem cool and help men fit in with social groups, but it appears to come at a price in the long run.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.