Press Release
For Immediate Release
December 3, 2014
Healthy Fathers, Sexual Health and Effective Outreach to Men; Focus of Presentations at the Men’s Health Caucus of the American Public Health Association
Partners with Women’s Health Caucus and Maternal and Child Health Caucus to help promote a healthy males / healthy babies agenda
December 3, 2014 – Members of the Men’s Health Caucus (MHC), a formal constituency group of the American Public Health Association (APHA) met during the APHA 142nd Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA from November 15-19, 2014.
The MHC received 110 scientific research, community programming and policy abstracts for selection for presentation at the conference, representing a broad range of expert work that has a positive impact on advancing the overall health of boys and men. This year’s selections were presented during the conference with topics ranging from male teen engagement boys on pregnancy prevention and building healthy families through programs for expectant fathers, mental health and masculinity; a listing of the session titles is found below.
The MHC is also working on several public policy platforms including those focusing on increasing research specific to delivery of gender specific health messages to boys and men, and to broaden access of health services to fathers as well as mothers during pregnancy. The Men’s Health Caucus Policy Agenda can be found here:
www.menshealthcaucus.net/wp-content/uploads/APHA-Mens-Health-Caucus-Agenda.pdf
During its business meeting, members of MHC re-affirmed its commitment to making this group a marketplace to foster dialogue and broad based action to advance the health of boys and men.
During the APHA conference, MHC collaborated with several other population groups including the Women’s Health and other caucuses for programs and outreach. Men’s Health Network and Johnson & Johnson sponsored a joint reception of the MHC and Paternal Involvement In Pregnancy Outcomes Committee of the Maternal and Child Health Caucus. MHC Chair, Dr. S. Giorgianni reaffirmed the commitment of the group to work collaboratively with all caucuses who care about the involvement of fathers to support healthy pregnancy planning, support and outreach that welcomes traditional and non-traditional fathers in our communities.
The MHC announces the transition of leadership for the group with the following individuals assuming their duties for 2014-2016:
Stephen D. Petty, MA – Chair
Ana Fadich, MPH, CHES – Chair-Elect
R. Daniel Duquette, PhD, CHES – Program Chair
Brandon Leonard, MA – Secretary
For further information on any of these organizations visit them at:
Men’s Health Caucus – www.menshealthcaucus.net
Men’s Health Network – www.menshealthnetwork.org
American Public Health Association – www.apha.org
Session Titles for Major Presentations At the 2014 American Public Health Association by the Men’s Health Caucus.
• Let’s Hear It For The Boys: Continuing the conversation about gender focused views of sexual health. Presented in collaboration with the Women’s Caucus of the APHA
• Getting The Drop On Cancer: Knowledge And Perceptions Around Cancer Screening And Prevention
• “Hey Man, Are You Listening?” Community health programs reaching men
• Beyond The Bars: Addressing social determinants of incarceration and re-entry programs
• Masculinity: The impact on health decision making
• Paternal Involvement In Pregnancy Outcomes: The AYA male toolkit
Posters presented.
• Gun violence and minority men: A community-based approach to inform prevention
• Clipper Clinic
• Other half of the equation: Where are the boys in adolescent sexual and reproductive health programs
• Examination of neighborhood factors associated with diet and physical activity among African American Men, 50 years and older
• Promoting Oral Health and Community-Based Participatory Research: The Minority Men’s Oral Health and Dental Access Program (MOHDAP)
• Other Invisible Wounds: Sexual Functioning in Military Service Members and Veterans
• Who are the African American men recruited in Barbershop studies?
• Healthy Kappas/Healthy Communities: Learning how to address our brothers’ health needs
• Towards RESPECT: How Existing Program Data Informed the Development of a Heterosexual male approach to Social and Behavioral Change
June 9-15 was National Men’s Health Week, a health observance coordinated by the Men’s Health Network and celebrated each year as the week leading up to, and including, Father’s Day. The week, which coincides with June’s Men’s Health Month, is intended to “heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.”
Salvatore J. Giorgianni, Jr., PharmD, chair of APHA Men’s Health Caucus, shared his insight on the keys to men’s health — notably “awareness, prevention, education and family” — in a conversation with Public Health Newswire.
2014 marks 20 years since National Men’s Health Week, or NMHW, was passed by Congress and signed by then-U.S. President Bill Clinton. NMHW was sponsored by Senator Bob Dole and Congressman Bill Richardson and is celebrated each year as the week that ends on Father’s Day. Following the lead of Congress, governors of 47 states and Washington, D.C., joined by mayors of over 40 cities, have issued proclamations in 2014 creating Men’s Health Week in their jurisdictions.
In the 20 years since NMHW passage this outreach has encouraged the development of thousands of health awareness activities throughout the month of June both in the U.S. and around the globe. Corporations, hospital systems, clinics, the faith-based community, the public sector, and others highlight their services and reach out to boys, men and those that love them.
NMHW was built around four pillars: awareness, prevention, education and family. This has resulted in countless campaigns that focus on raising awareness about health issues affecting men and boys. The awareness and outreach does not involve men alone, but is also a family matter. Men’s health advocates, in particular those who are a part of the APHA Men’s Health Caucus, encourage all men, and especially dads, to become role models for their children and health leaders in the community — not only during this week but every week.
Recognizing that many diseases that affect boys and men can be prevented, outreach and events during NMHW week encourage men, boys and those who love them to develop positive health attitudes, engage in preventive behaviors, lead healthy lifestyles and seek timely medical advice and care.
Perhaps most importantly, these 20 years of activity have seen a marked improvement in the health and wellbeing of men and boys, with a dramatic improvement in life expectancy and surprising drops in key mortality indicators. There has been a steep drop among males in overall mortality, and corresponding improvements in the mortality rates for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Tables illustrating those improvements can be found at Men’s Health Network.
The Men’s Health Caucus of APHA acknowledges the tireless work of the Men’s Health Network, a national non-profit organization, for its leadership in establishing this proclamation and its advocacy for over two decades to enhance the health of boys and men and their families.
This article was originally published on the public health newswire and can be found here.
Working in men’s health? Want to present your work to thousands of public health and academic colleagues? Men’s Health Caucus call for abstract submission starts today, Monday 12/16.
The Men’s Health Caucus (within the American Public Health Association) is currently accepting abstracts for submission for the 142nd annual APHA conference, which will be held in New Orleans, LA, from November 15-19 2014. The theme for 2014 is Healthography: How Where You Live Affects Your Health and Well-being.
The deadline for submission is Sunday, February 16, 2014, 11:59 p.m. PST. Abstracts are limited to 250 words. Those whose abstracts are accepted for presentation will be asked to give 15-minute oral presentations or to present their work in an hour-long poster session.
Please contact our Program Planner, Ana Fadich, by email (HealthyFamilies@menshealthnetwork.org) if you have questions about the topic areas or abstracts. For more information, or to submit an abstract, click here .
Topics include, but are not limited to:
Submit your abstract here.
Earlier this month, the Men’s Health Caucus was at APHA in Boston and hosted sessions discussing men’s health issues both before and during the conference.
This year, the caucus presented seven sessions which highlighted over 30 researchers in the field of men’s health. Thank you to all of the presenters who participated. Men’s Health Caucus will be sending information to all members about the upcoming 2014 abstract submission in December.
You can join the Men’s Health Caucus, get more information on the APHA Annual Meeting, learn more about the health and well being of men and boys, and read a daily news feed here.
MHN was also in attendance and was able to talk with hundreds of individuals and groups interested in health and health advocacy who stopped at the booth.
Be sure to also view our photos from the event on our Facebook page, here.