Communities around the globe, including North Dakota, recognize June as Men’s Health Month, an annual observance dedicated to education and activities promoting the health and wellness of men and boys. This year also marks the 29th anniversary of the establishment of National Men’s Health Week, which is being celebrated June 12-18 this year as part of the larger awareness campaign of Men’s Health Month.
Raising awareness around the need for men and boys to live healthy lifestyles is critical to their well-being. According to the 2020 North Dakota Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, nearly one in 10 men had not seen a doctor in the last five years.
According to North Dakota Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Vital Records Unit, the life expectancy for North Dakota men is nearly 8 years less than for women, and this gap widens even more for certain populations.
Men also have higher rates of death from cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and suicide. Between 2017 and 2020 in North Dakota, heart disease was the leading primary cause of death for men, and suicide ranked in the top ten primary causes of death for men.
The Men’s Health Program will be using June as an opportunity to educate men, boys, families, community members and health professionals about the importance of disease prevention, timely screenings, healthy lifestyles, and positive family engagement. North Dakotans can find information specific to men’s behavioral health, prevention and healthy living, and parenting and fatherhood at hhs.nd.gov/health/men.
This summer, the Men’s Health Program and the Office of the State Epidemiologist in HHS will be launching the Fatherhood Experiences Survey to learn directly from dads about their attitudes and experiences before and shortly after the birth of their child to better understand how to support dads during the transition to fatherhood.
For ideas and free educational resources on men’s health topics in both English and Spanish, visit www.MensHealthMonth.org.