Why We're Unique
Why We Study Men's Health
Men tend to live shorter lives than women, yet the factors that affect men’s health have been studied less than those related to women’s health. While there is a growing interest in how social and cultural factors shape men’s health, few researchers have comprehensively studied these influences. The Center for Research on Men's Health at Vanderbilt works to fill this gap.
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Why Our Center is Unique
We address gender, age, race and ethnicity - not just disease.
Many issues that affect health — homicide, motor vehicle accidents, underage drinking — disproportionately affect men but typically aren't thought of as men's health issues. The CRMH incorporates a broad range of non-biological factors, including lifestyle, to provide a fuller and more accurate picture of men's health.
We focus on increasing men's representation in research.
In studies involving men and women, men's rates of participation are considerably lower than women's, which limits what we know about how to improve men's health. Our studies provide opportunities for participation in research specifically tailored for men and men's health issues.
We focus on what is unique about masculinity and manhood.
Masculinity and manhood play a significant role in men's health and men's health behavior. The CRMH is a leader in incorporating masculinity in men's health studies.
We view men as individuals, not just as groups.
Our research highlights the individual characteristics and values identified by men. We strive to establish programs and messages tailored to improve health behaviors on an individual level based on personal values and priorities.
We understand how to motivate men to improve their health.
It is often assumed that men's poor health behaviors are unchangeable —and that men care less about their health than women. We go beyond simply providing health information. We work to understand factors that motivate men and develop interventions to help facilitate positive health behaviors and positive interactions with the health care system.
What We Do:
- Conduct research on the non-biological factors that affect men's health by bridging social sciences, humanities, medicine and public health
- Promote greater understanding of how non-biological factors affect men's health by publishing research findings (our own and those of others)
- Recommend evidence-based approaches to improve health outcomes for men by addressing behavior as well as social, cultural and gender-related issues
What We Don't Do:
- Provide medical treatment or advice
- Provide referrals for medical treatment
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Areas of Focus
Our current focus is in the following five areas:
- Black men's health
- How gender differences and other factors related to gender (such as age, social class, education and marital status) affect health and behaviors that affect health, both among men and between men and women
- Men's health politics and policy
- Men's health promotion
- Determinants of men's health and men's health disparities