Why do men go to the doctor? Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with healthcare utilisation among a cohort of Australian men

M Schlichthorst; LA Sanci; J Pirkis; MJ Spittal; JS Hocking

Journal article

Why do men go to the doctor? Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with healthcare utilisation among a cohort of Australian men

M Schlichthorst, LA Sanci, J Pirkis, MJ Spittal, JS Hocking

BMC Public Health | BMC | Published : 2016

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3706-5

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Abstract

Background: Men use health services less often than women and frequently delay seeking help even if experiencing serious health problems. This may put men at higher risk for developing serious health problems which, in part, may explain men's higher rates of some serious illnesses and shorter life span relative to women. This paper identifies factors that contribute to health care utilisation in a cohort of Australian men by exploring associations between socio-economic, health and lifestyle factors and the use of general practitioner (GP) services. Methods: We used data from Ten to Men, the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health. Health care utilisation was defined in two ways: at lea..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Lena Sanci Author

Jane Pirkis Author

Matthew Spittal Author

Jane Hocking Author

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Funding Acknowledgements

The research on which this paper is based on was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health by the University of Melbourne. We are grateful to the Australian Government Department of Health for funding and to the boys and men who provided survey data.