Moderation and mediation of the relationships between masculinity ideology and health status.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to assess the direct and indirect relationships between the endorsement of traditional masculinity ideology (TMI) and self-reported health status through potential mediating variables of expectations of benefits from health risk behaviors and actual health risk behaviors. In addition, the objective was to test the moderating effect of gender identity, broadly defined (including cisgender and transgender men and women and nonbinary persons).

METHOD

Participants (N = 1233; 34.3% transgender) participated in an online survey, responding to measures of TMI, expectations of benefits, health behaviors, health status, and demographics. Data were analyzed using conditional process modeling.

RESULTS

TMI was positively and directly associated with general health status for self-identified men (regardless of their sex assigned at birth), and with mental health for both men and women, but was not associated with physical health for persons of any gender identity. TMI was positively and directly associated with expectations of benefits for both men and women. Expectations of benefits from engaging in health risk behaviors was positively associated with health risk behaviors, and health risk behaviors had a large negative association with health status, for people of all gender identities.

CONCLUSIONS

TMI may be a general and mental health protective factor for self-identified men, and a mental health protective factor for women, regardless of assigned sex at birth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).