The organisers of men’s health events at two Kerry marts believe that the concept could be replicated in other parts of rural Ireland.
Last year, almost 1,000 men died from a heart attack in Ireland, while one-in-four men will lose their lives to heart disease or stroke.
However, 80% of premature heart disease and stroke is preventable.
Men’s health
Michelle Foley, HSE health promotion and improvement officer in south Kerry, was the team leader on a project which ran over the summer in the county focused on men’s health.
“In south Kerry, we have a large population of men living in isolated rural areas. As we all know, men are traditionally a very hard to reach group.
“As part of Men’s Health Week in June, we organised two health awareness days. We had one in Kenmare Mart and one in Iveragh Mart in Caherciveen.
“We set up two marquees outside each of the marts, we had a large number of exhibits from a wide range of health professionals, along with local and voluntary groups.
“Our main aim was to heighten awareness around the services and supports that are available in the local area,” she told Agriland.
Almost 200 men attended both events at the marts, while the organisers also linked up with the local pharmacies where free health checks for men were offered during that week.
Around 50 men availed of this free service which included blood pressure and weight checks.
“We did have a few women as well there that had concerns for the men in their life,” Foley said.
Marts
The health promotion officer explained that it can be “really hard” to engage men in health services so they had to “think outside the box” when it came to this project.
“The mart is an ideal location for any man, it’s a comfortable place,” she said.
“It was a great day for people to get out there and connect with other people. We’ve seen that very much since Covid-19, people are slow to get out and engage with people and connect with people again.
“It was very casual, very open, and it gave the men an opportunity to talk to individuals whether it be the physiotherapist, the podiatrist, or local schemes.
“There’s a very high percentage of health issues that men would suffer from, but early detection is huge – the benefits from it is massive. We all know that in prostate cancer, early detection is very important, it’s very treatable.
“Medicine has improved so much, it’s just encouraging men to get out there,” Foley added.
Services
The project also emphasised the importance of “joining the dots” between existing services.
“The feedback that we got from a number of health professionals was that the events highlighted the value of the opportunity for them to work collaboratively together.
“It also raised their own awareness of the services and supports that were available in the local areas, which would also enhance their own service provision to patients.
“It was very positive for everybody that was involved in it because a lot of the time we’re not aware of what services and supports are available in our local area,” she said.
The project team has worked to broaden the supports available to men in the region, with walking football and men’s exercise classes now underway.
Foley believes that the events at the marts in south Kerry, which were recently recognised at the Cork Kerry Community Healthcare Awards, could definitely be replicated in other areas of the country.
“It’s about looking at ways that you can engage the men in your own local community, keeping it local, as much as possible,” she said.
She urged anyone interested in running a similar event to contact their local HSE health promotion department or local community workers in family resource centres.
As a health promotion and improvement officer, Foley said that when it comes to our mental health and well-being the “value of connection” cannot be underestimated.
She offered the following three suggestions for men to consider over the coming months:
- Visit your GP and encourage men to get a full check-up;
- Call to a friend for a cup of tea;
- Get involved in local groups, such as Men’s Sheds or classes.
“The first thing in looking after our mental health and well-being is around self care, and when I say self care, it’s about looking after ourselves.
“It’s making a New Year’s resolution for yourself – what can I do to improve my own health?” Foley said.