Results of a survey of 1,112 UK men by Opinion Leader on behalf of the Men's Health Forum 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.

1. Men & Primary Care Research
Findings
March 2016
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2. 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.
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3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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
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Q45: 733; Q46: 149; Q47: 149; Q48: 82
GP
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
Aware
Unaware/ not sure
of the NHS Health Check Programme
Invited to the NHS Health
Check programme
Not invited
to the NHS Health Check
programme

9. Conditions that prompt taking time off work to seek
medical help
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Q34: 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

10. 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:
White
Annual 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.

11. 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.

12. 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 to
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
Self-employed men with health problems
Likely
18%
34% 48%
Likely
to 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%

13. 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.
13
Q32 (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

14. 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.

15. 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