Chavalala Lazarros, Lebese Tsakani Rachel, Makhado Lufuno
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Venda, University Rd, Thohoyandou, South Africa.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Jan 8;25(1):83. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-21283-9.
The reasons for men not to seek healthcare seem similar across the world. They avoid going for regular medical check-ups, and preventive care and often disregard symptoms or delay seeking medical attention when sick, in pain, or even when their lives are in danger.
This study sought to explore the views of men on factors contributing to poor health-seeking behavior among men in Mopani, Vhembe, and Capricorn district municipalities in Limpopo Province. A qualitative descriptive design was used and individual semi-structured interviews were used to collect data in May and June 2024 from 21 men who were purposively selected. Collected data were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Tech's eight steps were used to analyse data and guide the development of emerged main themes and sub-themes. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Venda research ethics committee with Ethics Approval Number: FHS/21/PH/26/1215.
Self-medication, fear of knowing own health status, peer and community elders' influence, stigma, and masculinity beliefs were among the reasons participants avoided utilizing health services. Educational and health promotional campaigns, challenging societal norms, and employing more nurses were suggested as strategies to improve men's health-seeking behaviour.
It is evident from the findings that several factors contribute to men's poor health-seeking behaviour including visiting health facilities to seek needed healthcare services. Self-treating of disease at hand, fear of knowing own health status, use of traditional healers, and sticking to cultural values are among the factors that contribute to men's poor health-seeking behaviour. There is a need to challenge societal norms and how men are raised as factors that contribute to poor health-seeking behaviour among men.
世界各地男性不寻求医疗保健的原因似乎相似。他们避免进行定期体检和预防保健，生病、疼痛甚至生命危险时常常忽视症状或延迟就医。
本研究旨在探讨林波波省莫帕尼、韦姆贝和摩羯座地区市政当局男性对导致男性健康寻求行为不佳的因素的看法。采用定性描述性设计，于2024年5月和6月对21名经过有目的选择的男性进行了个体半结构式访谈以收集数据。收集的数据进行了录音并逐字转录以供分析。采用泰克的八个步骤来分析数据并指导新出现的主要主题和子主题的形成。通过可信度、可证实性、可靠性和可转移性确保了研究的可信度。获得了文达大学研究伦理委员会的伦理批准，伦理批准号为：FHS/21/PH/26/1215。
自我用药、害怕了解自己的健康状况、同伴和社区长辈的影响、耻辱感以及男性气质观念是参与者避免使用医疗服务的原因。建议开展教育和健康宣传活动、挑战社会规范以及雇佣更多护士作为改善男性健康寻求行为的策略。
研究结果表明，有几个因素导致男性健康寻求行为不佳，包括前往医疗机构寻求所需的医疗服务。自行治疗手头疾病、害怕了解自己的健康状况、使用传统治疗师以及坚持文化价值观是导致男性健康寻求行为不佳的因素。有必要挑战社会规范以及男性的养育方式，因为这些因素导致了男性健康寻求行为不佳。
