Wednesday, June 27, 2001

Men's health in Georgia

They're living longer, but problems persist

Men in Georgia are living longer than ever before to an average age of 74 but they still die nearly seven years younger than women.

"The 2000 Report on the Status of Men's Health in Georgia: A Picture of Men's Health and Well-Being," released by the Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Public Health, suggests some reasons for this difference and looks at major health issues affecting men in Georgia.

Possible reasons for lower life expectancy include behavior choices that affect men's health; less use of an access to health care; and pressure to live up to society's expectations for men.

"We released a report on women's health last year, because many public health services focus on women's problems. We recognized that we needed to take a similar look at men's health issues," said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Division of Public Health. "This report describes the unique health issues affecting men, and offers some ideas about what needs to be done to help men take better care of themselves."

The report shows some improvement: For example, more men in Georgia are using seat belts and getting screened for colorectal cancer. Colon and prostate cancer both declined among men during the 1990s. However, several long-standing health issues such as unintentional homicide, and tobacco use, continue to be major problems for men.

Some health issues affect men differently depending on their age and race. Conditions that occur later in life, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis are on the rise due to the increase in life expectancy.

Suicide and substance abuse are more common among young white men, while homicide affects more young black men. HIV/AIDS is the most common cause of death among men 35-44, while pneumonia and influenza are most significant among older men.

The report calls for more attention to developing or improving services, programs and policies that address men's health, and recommends that public health officials work with policy makers, health care providers, community groups and consumers to see that health care is more specifically tailored to the social, economic and cultural needs of Georgia's men.

"We have one excellent opportunity to do this by assisting the Commission on Men's Health that was established by the 2000 General Assembly," said Sean Johnson, Men's Health Initiative coordinator for the Division of Public Health. "We hope to help them develop guidelines that will educate men in Georgia about better health practices."

For a copy of the 2000 Report on the Status of Men's Health in Georgia, contact Johnson at 404-651-7441 or go on the Internet to http://health.state.ga.us/programs/women/pdfs/menshealth00.pdf .

* Chronic health conditions are major causes of death and disability for Georgia men, especially in later life. Conditions of particular concern are cardiovascular disease, colon and prostate cancer, diabetes and arthritis.

* Injury is one of the most significant causes of death among Georgia men aged 18 to 44 years. Unintentional injury, such as from motor vehicle crashes, is the most common type of injury among young men, although intentional injuries, such as homicides and suicides, also cause many deaths in this group. Deaths from falling are more common among older men.

* Poor behavior choices increase the risk of many chronic diseases. Some of these risky choices include physical inactivity, tobacco use, and poor nutritional habits. However, some healthy behaviors such as seat belt use and colorectal cancer screening have been increasing among men.

* Infectious diseases such as gonorrhea, HIV and tuberculosis have a significant effect on the health of both men and women in Georgia. HIV is the leading cause of death for men ages 35-44 and is a leading cause of death among men of all ages. Pneumonia and influenza are among the 10 leading causes of death for men of all age groups in Georgia, and are most significant among older men.

* Substance abuse is most common among young white men. An estimated one-fourth of white men aged 18 to 24 have a substance abuse problem and would benefit from treatment.

* Health care utilization is an important factor in men's health. National research suggests that men do not use health care services as often or as early as women. Fewer young men are covered by health insurance than are young women. Also, young women use health care more regularly because of their need for gynecological and obstetric care.