Citation

Vandello JA, Wilkerson M, Bosson JK, Wiernik BM, Kosakowska-Berezecka N. Psychol. Men Masc. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/men0000407

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Cultural beliefs about the requirements of manhood may have implications for men's physical health. In a cross-cultural examination of 62 countries, we explored whether country-level endorsement of precarious manhood beliefs (PMBs) was associated with various country-level risk-related health behaviors and outcomes. In countries that more strongly endorsed PMBs, men had higher rates of risky health behaviors (e.g., smoking, venomous animal contact) and risk-related health outcomes (e.g., liver cirrhosis mortality, drownings), and lower life expectancy. The average size of correlations of PMB with health behaviors and outcomes was moderate (rs =.21,.26), while correlations of PMB with men's life expectancy were relatively strong (rs = −.56, −.57). Overall, men live over six fewer years in countries higher versus lower in PMB. The relationships between PMB and health behaviors and outcomes were attenuated but did not completely disappear when controlling for country-level indicators of development and gender equality. These findings suggest that country-level beliefs about gender, and not just men's own masculinity and masculinity-related beliefs, may have important connections to men's health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Language: en