Smith James A, Bollen Chris
University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore.
Health Promot J Austr. 2009 Aug;20(2):98-101. doi: 10.1071/he09098.
The Australian Government announced its intention to develop a national men's health policy in June 2008. A focus on prevention was identified as a foundation principle that would underpin the development of this policy. This brief report provides a descriptive account of the key discussion points relating to health promotion and prevention during a National Men's Health Roundtable held in Canberra in March 2009.
Invitations to the Roundtable were extended to peak professional organisations and national health bodies with an interest in men's health. Presentations from the National Preventative Health Taskforce, the National Primary Health Care External Reference Group and National Men's Health Ambassadors were used to provoke discussion relating to men's health.
The most salient issues that were raised at the Roundtable and that were specific to health promotion and prevention contexts included the need to clearly define key terms that relate to health promotion and prevention (to support a joined-up and health-in-all-policies approach); acknowledge that gender intersects with other social determinants of health; recognise that men's engagement though health promotion and primary healthcare services can be improved by using settings-based approaches more widely; a greater focus on men's health literacy; a universal funding system to support men's health promotion; clarity about the roles and responsibilities that various health professionals play in improving the status of men's health; and the need to build health equity between and within specific populations of men through action on the social determinants of health.
Recognising the place of health promotion and illness prevention in a national men's health policy will provide the necessary platform to build critical health literacy among men, promote equitable access to primary healthcare services and better support men's engagement within the health system.
澳大利亚政府于2008年6月宣布打算制定一项全国男性健康政策。将预防作为重点被确定为该政策制定的一项基本原则。本简要报告描述了2009年3月在堪培拉举行的全国男性健康圆桌会议期间与健康促进和预防相关的关键讨论要点。
向对男性健康感兴趣的主要专业组织和国家卫生机构发出了圆桌会议邀请。利用国家预防性健康任务组、国家初级卫生保健外部参考小组和国家男性健康大使的发言引发有关男性健康的讨论。
圆桌会议上提出的、特定于健康促进和预防背景的最突出问题包括：需要明确界定与健康促进和预防相关的关键术语（以支持一体化和健康融入所有政策的方针）；认识到性别与其他健康社会决定因素相互交织；认识到通过更广泛地采用基于环境的方法，可以提高男性通过健康促进和初级卫生保健服务的参与度；更加关注男性的健康素养；建立支持男性健康促进的普遍筹资系统；明确各类卫生专业人员在改善男性健康状况方面所发挥的作用和责任；以及需要通过针对健康社会决定因素采取行动，在特定男性群体之间和群体内部实现健康公平。
认识到健康促进和疾病预防在全国男性健康政策中的地位，将提供必要的平台，以培养男性的关键健康素养，促进公平获得初级卫生保健服务，并更好地支持男性参与卫生系统。
