London South Bank University, 101 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, UK.
University of West Indies, Cor. College and St Cecelia Roads, El Dorado, Trinidad and Tobago.
Health Promot Int. 2020 Aug 1;35(4):804-811. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daz076.
Gender variations in health literacy have implications for engagement in preventive behaviours and the uptake of health services, especially in areas such as the Caribbean where there are marked disparities in life expectancy and health service utilization. A self-reported questionnaire was used to examine men's concepts of health, their help-seeking behaviours and their functional and interactive health literacy. Two hundred and forty-eight men across the life course participated at three sites in Trinidad. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, with free-text responses analysed thematically. Men were concerned about, and accepted responsibility for their own health but social norms concerning sickness and masculinity were barriers to accessing health services. Almost one-third (31.5%) sought advice from a healthcare service when they were last sick because they were prompted to do so by their wife/partner or family. Levels of functional and interactive health literacy were not high among older men, who were reliant on healthcare professionals to communicate health messages. There was an age divide in e-health literacy. There is little published evidence on men's health literacy, particularly from Caribbean countries such as Trinidad and Tobago. This study highlights the importance of the design and implementation of specific policies focusing on men's health. A major challenge is to engage with men who do not access health services.
健康素养在性别上存在差异，这对参与预防行为和使用卫生服务产生影响，尤其是在加勒比地区等预期寿命和卫生服务利用方面存在明显差异的地区。本研究采用自报式问卷，考察了男性对健康的概念、寻求帮助的行为以及他们的功能性和互动性健康素养。特立尼达的三个地点共有 248 名男性参与了这项研究。研究使用描述性统计方法对数据进行分析，并对自由文本的回复进行主题分析。男性关心自己的健康，并对自己的健康负责，但有关疾病和男子气概的社会规范是他们获取卫生服务的障碍。近三分之一（31.5%）的男性在上次生病时因为妻子/伴侣或家人的催促而向医疗服务机构寻求建议。老年男性的功能性和互动性健康素养水平不高，他们依赖医疗保健专业人员来传达健康信息。电子健康素养在不同年龄段存在差异。关于男性健康素养的文献很少，特别是来自特立尼达和多巴哥等加勒比国家的文献。本研究强调了制定和实施专门针对男性健康政策的重要性。一个主要的挑战是接触那些不使用卫生服务的男性。
