Freemasons Centre for Male Health & Wellbeing-Northern Territory, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University.
Curtis Center for Health Equity Research & Training, School of Social Work, University of Michigan.
Health Promot Int. 2021 Oct 13;36(5):1508-1515. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daaa148.
Health promotion research and practice consistently reveals that people of colour in the USA face multiple structural and systemic health and social inequities as a direct consequence of racism and discrimination. Recent scholarship on equity and men's health has highlighted the importance of gender-specifically concepts relating to masculinities and manhood-to better understand the inequities experienced by men of colour. A sharper focus on the intersection between race, gender and life stage has also emphasized the importance of early intervention when addressing inequities experienced by boys and young men of colour (BYMOC). This has led to an expansion of health promotion interventions targeting BYMOC across the USA over the past decade. Many of these health promotion strategies have attempted to reduce inequities through action on the social determinants of health, particularly those that intersect with education and justice systems. Reflecting on these developments, this commentary aims to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by the health promotion community when attempting to reduce health and social inequities experienced by BYMOC. In doing so, the solutions we identify include: strengthening the evidence base about effective health promotion interventions; reducing system fragmentation; promoting connectivity through networks, alliances and partnerships; reducing tensions between collaboration and competition; changing the narrative associated with BYMOC; acknowledging both inclusiveness and diversity; addressing racism and intergenerational trauma; and committing to a national boys and men's health policy. We encourage health promotion researchers, practitioners and policy-makers to adopt these solutions for the benefit of BYMOC in the USA.
健康促进研究和实践一直表明，美国的有色人种由于种族主义和歧视，面临着多种结构性和系统性的健康和社会不平等。最近关于公平和男性健康的学术研究强调了性别特定概念（与男子气概和男子气概有关）对于更好地理解有色人种男性所经历的不平等的重要性。更关注种族、性别和生命阶段之间的交叉点，也强调了在解决有色人种男孩和年轻男性（BYMOC）所经历的不平等问题时早期干预的重要性。这导致了过去十年中针对 BYMOC 的健康促进干预措施在美国的扩展。这些健康促进策略中的许多都试图通过对健康的社会决定因素采取行动来减少不平等，特别是那些与教育和司法系统交叉的因素。为了反映这些发展，本评论旨在讨论健康促进界在试图减少 BYMOC 所经历的健康和社会不平等时所面临的挑战和机遇。在这样做的过程中，我们确定的解决方案包括：加强关于有效健康促进干预措施的证据基础；减少系统碎片化；通过网络、联盟和伙伴关系促进连接；减少合作与竞争之间的紧张关系；改变与 BYMOC 相关的叙述；承认包容性和多样性；解决种族主义和代际创伤；并承诺制定国家男孩和男性健康政策。我们鼓励健康促进研究人员、从业者和政策制定者采用这些解决方案，以造福美国的 BYMOC。
