Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Men may experience poorer health outcomes than females and gender specific targeted health promotion needs to adequately address this issue. This prospective observational study audited all printed health promotional materials in all health facility waiting rooms within a defined geographic region in Australia. A total of twenty-four sites were surveyed, which included general practice centres, community health centres, and hospitals. The surveyed health literature included posters, brochures, and booklets. There were 1143 health materials audited across the sites. Of these, 3.15% (n=36) were male-specific literature, 15.31% (n=175) were female specific health literature and 81.54% (n=932) were gender neutral. Literature which had a gendered focus was overwhelmingly female to male with a ratio of approximately 5:1. This research highlights that male specific literature is significantly under-represented within health facility waiting spaces. There remains potential for health clinicians to provide targeted male health education and thereby improve male health literacy.