Cleveland Clinic Survey Examines the Current State of Men’s Health in America

Newswise — Wednesday, September 6, 2023, CLEVELAND: A new national survey by Cleveland Clinic highlights a disconnect between men’s perception of their health and their actual health habits.

In the survey, 81% of American men said they believe they are leading a healthy lifestyle. However, the survey results show the habits and behaviors of many men tell a different story.

• Almost half of men (44%) do not get a yearly physical
• 44% do not take care of their mental health
• Only half of men said they keep a healthy diet (51%)
• 83% have experienced stress in the last six months
• About a quarter of U.S. men (27%) watch TV for more than five hours per day on average

The survey, which was taken earlier this year by a national sample consisting of 1,000 U.S. males, 18 years of age and older, was issued as part of Cleveland Clinic’s eighth annual educational campaign, MENtion It^®. The campaign aims to address the fact that men often do not mention health issues or take steps to prevent them.  

Survey findings point to stress being a common factor among men. However, 65% of men said they are hesitant to seek professional help for mental health concerns such as stress, anxiety and depression.

Social media habits may contribute to this with men saying they spend 2.3 hours per day on average scrolling through social media. Those who say they are hesitant to seek professional help for mental health issues are almost twice as likely to spend five or more hours daily on social media (19%).

The survey also indicates that a significant portion of American men (37%) have experienced issues related to sexual health. Despite experiencing issues, only two in five men who experienced sexual problems say they sought professional help.

“We know that there is a direct relationship between a man’s physical, mental and sexual health,” said Georges Pascal-Haber, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Urology at Cleveland Clinic. “A man’s lifestyle and habits, whether positive or negative, can significantly impact his overall health.

“The first signs of many serious health conditions are often urinary or sexual issues which many men are hesitant to address,” said Haber.

“Through the MENtion It campaign, we want to emphasize the significance of being proactive with your health by getting regular screenings, vaccinations and exams to prevent health issues or identify them in curable stages.”

Additional findings:

• 54% of American men are not satisfied with their current weight and 50% declare they are actively working on achieving their goal weight.
• Only about half (56%) of men realize that their drinking habits may affect sexual health, but even less (43%) are aware of the negative impact of smoking.
• Two-thirds (65%) of men who have experienced issues having sex say it made them feel frustrated.
• Money/finances is the No. 1 stress factor affecting men in the U.S., indicated by 37% of respondents.
• Only about half of American men have been screened for common cancers, including prostate, colorectal, skin, testicular and bladder.
• Two-thirds (67%) of men have performed skin self-examination.
• However, 83% of men do not use sunscreen on daily basis.

Visit www.clevelandclinic.org/MENtionIt for more information about men’s health and important preventive steps every man can take.

Methodology

Findings from an online survey conducted among a national sample consisting of 1,000 American males, 18 years of age and older, living in the continental United States completed between June 1st and June 13th in partnership with Savanta.

The total male sample surveyed was nationally representative based on age, gender, ethnicity, region, urban vs. rural, household income, and educational attainment census data. The margin of error for the total sample at the 95% confidence level is +/- 3.1 percentage points.

Additionally, oversamples were collected across generations, minority race/ethnicities, and Florida residents. The final sample sizes for these segments including the oversamples are: Adult Gen Z (18–25): n=309; Millennials (26-41): n=441; Gen X (42-57): n=354; Boomers+ (58+): n=437; African Americans: n=278; Hispanics: n=295; Asian Americans: n=252; Florida residents: n=274.