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York academic contributes to new report on men’s health which reveals disparities between most and least deprived areas in the UK

Posted on 17 July 2024

A University of York academic has advised on a major new report on men’s health which highlights the disparities between the most and least deprived areas in the UK.

Professor Paul Galdas helped inform the new Movember report which reveals the average rate of premature death for men in England’s most deprived areas is 81% higher than those in the least.

The report highlights that almost 2 in 5 (39%) deaths were premature – that’s 133,000 men a year lost too soon, often due to causes which could have been avoided through prevention - behaviour change, screening and early diagnosis.

Paul Galdas is Professor of Nursing and Men’s Health at the University of York’s Department of Health Sciences, with expertise in identifying simple, practical evidence-based solutions to improve men’s uptake and engagement with health care. His current research focuses on breaking down barriers and improving access to early mental health intervention for men.

Good practice

Professor Galdas also leads the Movember-funded BALM programme (Behavioural Activation for Low Mood and anxiety in male NHS frontline workers) at the University.

The programme has been hailed as an effective intervention that can be used to help prevent common mental illnesses and is highlighted as good practice by the Movember campaign.

The Movember report finds that where men live and the level of deprivation in their local area determines if men will die before the age of 75, with the UK one of only two countries in the G7 where male life expectancy has decreased since 2012.

Men in areas of Birmingham, on average, are more than 3.5 times as likely to die prematurely than those living in Beckenham. 

Wake-up call

Data shows nearly two thirds (64%) wait more than a week with symptoms before visiting the doctor – and 31% will wait more than a month. Many men (62%) report that they want to leave their practitioner or have left a previous practitioner, due to a lack of ‘personal connection’.

Michelle Terry, CEO of Movember, said: “The report findings should serve as a wake-up call to the unacceptable state of men’s health across the UK. For too long, men’s health has been relegated to the sidelines of broader health conversations. Men’s health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. If we want these tragic numbers to decrease, and better support the men in our lives, real change is needed urgently.”

Professor Galdas, said: "The poor state of men’s health shown clearly in this report is a shocking and deeply sad result of decades of neglect to address the underlying issues effecting men and their health. 

“The issue is complex, which is why we need a comprehensive approach that doesn’t just tinker around the edges but revolutionises the rules and fundamentally improves the quality of healthcare and health education for men and all genders.”