Men & Primary Care Research

FindingsMarch 2016

1

Introduction

Aims

• Opinion Leader were commissioned by the Men’s Health Forum (MHF) to investigate

men’s views of healthcare services and drivers and barriers to use, with a particular

focus on those drivers and barriers that are associated with employment.

Method

• Between February – March 2016, Opinion Leader conducted 1,112 online interviews

with a nationally representative sample of employed men across the UK.

• Within the 1,112 online interviews, an extra boost of 107 self-employed men with

mental health concerns was achieved and treated as a separate unit of analysis.

• The data was weighted back to be representative of the UK male, working population

• Using linear and logistic regression modelling, a key driver analysis was conducted to

identify drivers and barriers of use and engagement with health services

This report

• Highlights some of the key findings that have emerged from the research.

2

Key findings

3

Although the majority of working men would be able to see their GP if they

needed to, some groups are less likely to be able to – including those that find

it difficult to take time off work for medical appointments

It was expected that self-employment would be a barrier to taking time off

work to see a GP, however self-employment enables men to take time off work

to see a GP, suggesting that those who are employed face greater barriers

Only 1 in 5 working men over the age of 40 have heard of the NHS Health

Check Programme, suggesting this is a significant barrier to attendance

When looking at the drivers and barriers of awareness of the NHS Health

Check Programme, children are both; they motivate engagement, but can also

drain the time required to engage with the NHS Health Check

Nearly half of employed men with mental health concerns would be

embarrassed to take time off work for a mental health appointment

Attitudes and behaviour towards health services (1)

• 3 in 4 working men have used health services, with the majority of these going to

their GP or pharmacy

4

GP – 61%

Pharmacy – 40%

Hospital

appointments – 22%

Groups more likely to use health

services

• Parents/ legal guardians

• Carers

• Smokers

• Family history of heart attack,

angina and/or diabetes

• Higher managerial job role

• Those who view work as important

in life

• Very low (<10) or very high (51+)

hours worked per week

75% used health services in

the last year

25% did not used

health services in the

last year

Q19: 1005

Attitudes and behaviour towards health services (2)

• Some groups are less likely to take time off work to see their GP than others

5

4% 9% 33% 36% 18%

Always take time off

work to see my GP

Never take time off

work to see my GP

When I feel unwell, I…

Groups more likely to take time off work to see their

GP

• Self-employed

• Those who do not view work as important

• Work in an organisation with an even split of male

and female employees

Groups less likely to take time off work to

see their GP

• Those earning <20k

• Employees in medium sized businesses

• Employees contracted 0-10 hours per

week

Q33: 1005

Self-employed: Profile

• 35 years and over

• Not parents/legal guardian of children

Employees on 0-10 hour contracts: Profile

• 16-34 and 55-65 years old

• London residence

• Earn less than 20k

Attitudes and behaviour towards health services (3)

• The vast majority of working men are registered with a GP, however some groups

are less likely to be registered

6

95% registered with a GP

5% not registered with a GP

Groups less likely to be

registered with a GP

• 16-34 years old

• London residence

• Asian/Asian British

• Smoker

• Family history of diabetes

• Occupation: Information and

Comms

• Higher managerial role

• Very low (<10) or very high

(51+) hours worked per week

Q39: 1005

Attitudes and behaviour towards health services (4)

• Over 2 in 5 of those who wanted to see a GP but were unable to couldn’t take the

time off due to work schedule or deadlines

7

Unable to get an appointment from the GP

in time – 50%

Unable to take time off due to work schedule/

deadlines – 44%

Appointment time was inconvenient – 24%

Groups most likely to want to

see a GP but unable to do so

• Parents/ legal guardians

• Not degree educated

• Smoker

• Family history of heart attack

or angina

88% wanted to see a GP

and were able to

12% wanted to see a GP but were unable to

Q42: 400; Q43: 47

65%32%

19%80%

Attitudes and behaviour towards health services (5)

• Only 19% of working men over the age of 40 have heard of the NHS Health Check

Programme

8

Q45: 733; Q46: 149; Q47: 149; Q48: 82GP

88%

Pharmacy

4%

Workplace

5%

Other

2%Where?

Attended the NHS Health

Check programme58% 39%Did not attend

the NHS Health

Check programme

Attended the NHS Health

Check programme

of the NHS

Health Check

Programme

AwareUnaware/ not sureof the NHS Health Check Programme

Invited to the NHS Health

Check programme

Not invited to the NHS Health Check

programme

Conditions that prompt taking time off work to seek

medical help

9Q34: 1005; Q54 1005

Rapid heartbeat

41%

Blood in stool

61%

Chest pain or

tightness

58%

Confused and

disorientated

39%

Coughing up

yellow or green

phlegm or blood

54%

Fever

28%

Breathlessness or

rapid and shallow

breathing

45%

Persistent cough

28%

Serious enough to take time

off work to seek medical help

Not serious enough to take time

off work to seek medical help

Anxiety

19%

Feeling low or

down

15%

Back pain

29%

Unexpected

lump

60%

Minor consistent

headache

15%

Blood in urine

70%

Dizziness/

nausea

36%

Unusual

symptoms

Wife/ partner

encouraged

seeking medical

assistance

Impacting

work

%= likelihood to take time off of

work due to that condition

Drivers and barriers: Taking time off work to see a GP

• Being self-employed is the most significant driver in working men’s decision to take

time off work to see a GP when they’re ill, suggesting that this group face lower

workplace constraints. However a workplace culture that facilitates workers to

discuss health is also a driver.

• White, low income men are least likely to take time off work to see a GP.

Perceptions of masculinity, importance of work in life and hours worked per

week are also barriers.

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Drivers

Barriers

More influential Less influential

Masculinity

(Conflicts

between work

and leisure)

Self-employed

Ability to confide in

colleagues about

health

Importance of work

in life

Ethnicity:

WhiteAnnual income

<£20,000

Q33: 1005

Ethnicity, white: Profile

• 55-65 years old

• Reside outside London

• Occupation: Construction,

Manufacturing and Public

Administration and Defence

This analysis was conducted using a linear regression,

with all drivers and barriers tested for significance.

Drivers and barriers: Health Check

• The most significant barrier to attending a Health Check is awareness, with only

19% of men over the age of 40 who have heard of the NHS Health Check Programme

• There are a range of different drivers and barriers for awareness. While being a

parent/ legal guardian drives awareness, the time spent taking care of

children is a barrier:

• This suggests that children have a dual role in working men’s lives; they motivate

engagement, but can also drain the time required to engage with the NHS Health Check

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Drivers

Barriers

More influential Less influential

Marriage/ Civil

Partnership

Parent/ legal

guardian for

children

Time spent taking

care of children

Work in the

construction

sector

Ability to confide in

colleagues about

health

Senior staff care

about general

health & wellbeing

Senior staff care

about professional

development

Q45: 733

Construction workers

Construction companies are legally required to provide health surveillance to

employees at risk of certain health hazards. All employees must attend these

appointments and are entitled to attend them during paid working time.

Analysis conducted using

a logit regression. All

drivers and barriers tested

for significance.

Self-employed men with health problems (1)

• Although self-employed men with health problems are significantly more

likely to take time off work to see a GP when they’re unwell than the male,

working population with health problems, 35% are still unlikely to take time off

work

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Likely

30% 35% 35%Likely totake time off work to

see a GP if unwell

Neither likely

nor unlikely to take time

off work to see a GP if

unwell

Unlikely to take

time off work to see a GP

if unwell

Self-employed men with health problems

Likely18% 34% 48%

Likelyto take time

off work to

see a GP if

unwell

Neither likely nor unlikely to take time

off work to see a GP if

unwell

Unlikely to take time

off work to see a GP if unwell

Male, working population with health problems

Q33 (boost): 107; Q33 (main): 529

Health problems are defined by the following: any named medical condition

given by the participant and/ or a degree of problems related to mobility, self-

care, usual activities, pain and discomfort.

Self-employed men with health problems, type of job:

• Higher managerial 43%

• Skilled manual 36%

• Intermediate managerial 31%

Self-employed men with health problems, sector:

• Arts & entertainment 58%

• Construction 46%

• Information & communications 37%

Self-employed men with health problems (2)

• Self-employed men with health problems find it easier to get time off work for

medical appointments than the wider male, working population with health problems.

• The findings suggest that self-employed men with health problems do not face

greater constraints in getting time off work than the wider male, working population

with health problems.

13Q32 (boost): 107; Q32 (main): 529

Self-employed men with health

problems

87% find it easy to

take time off work

Male, working population with

health problems

65% find it easy to

take time off work

22 points more 22 points less

Employed men with mental health concerns (1)

• Over half of employed men with mental health concerns would be

concerned that their employer would think badly of them for taking time off for a

mental health appointment – 21 points higher than the wider male, working

population without mental health concerns

14

Likely28% 20% 52%

Employed men with mental health concerns

Likely45% 25% 31%

Employed men without mental health concerns

that employer will

think badly of them

taking time off for mental

health appointment

Q52 Employed men with mental health concerns: (297) Q52 (main): (402)

Unconcerned

Neither concerned

nor unconcerned

Unconcerned

that employer will

think badly of them taking time

off for mental health appointment

Neither

concerned nor

unconcerned

Concerned that employer will think

badly of them taking time

off for mental health

appointment

Concerned that employer will think badly of them

taking time off for mental health

appointment

Mental health concerns are defined by the following: any named mental health

condition given by the participant and/ or a degree of problems related to

anxiety/depression and stress.

Employed men with mental health concerns (2)

• Almost half of employed men with mental health concerns would be

embarrassed to take time off work for a mental health appointment,

significantly more than the wider male, working population without mental health

concerns

15

Likely34%20% 46%

Employed men with mental health concerns

Likely51% 28% 21%

Employed men without mental health concerns

Q53 Employed men with mental health concerns: (342) Q53 (main) : (414)

Not

embarrassed

Neither

to take time off work for a

mental health

appointment

Embarrassed

To take time off work for a mental

health appointment

embarrassed

or not

embarrassed

Not embarrassed

to take time off work for a

mental health appointment

Neither

embarrassed or not

embarrassed

Embarrassed

To take time off

work for a mental

health

appointment