A recent survey by the Canadian Men's Health Foundation (CMHF) on COVID-19 and fatherhood showed the pandemic has had both positive and negative effects.
Men face increased health challenges due to poor eating habits, inactivity, high levels of stress and social isolation – factors that have been heightened during the COVID-19 crisis. But this has been offset by the benefits of spending more time with family – a situation men say they aren't in a hurry to change once life and work returns to normal.
"We found dads are less focused on work achievement and more on family time and quality of relationships. COVID-19 is creating a 'new normal' for men," said CMHF president Wayne Hartrick. "The pandemic and lockdown might've been the accelerant, but there's been a change coming for awhile around the role of fatherhood and the sense of what it means to be a man. It's no longer about being strong, silent and not asking for help."
Shelley Porter, a mental health nurse with the St. Albert and Sturgeon Primary Care Network, said the pandemic has also created an increase in anxiety-related issues. Men are still sometimes hesitant to reach out if they're noticing problems like increased alcohol consumption, altered sleep patterns and increased anger, said Porter.
"If you face money worries, lack of routine, isolation and inactivity, it's understandable that you'll be more stressed. My patients appreciate a plan of action, where we identify what anxiety can look like, and goals on dealing with it," said Porter. She cites the example of 54 year-old Darwin, a Morinville resident who said that step one for him involved recognizing there was an issue around his temper and negativity. Getting feedback made a huge difference.
"Reaching out to talk to someone doesn't mean you're weak – it means you're normal," she said."When the pandemic first hit, I thought about how people would cope, with gyms and sports fields closed and no sports to watch on t.v.. All these changes can make people more anxious."
Porter said she and her team help clients reframe how they look at something they have no control over, like COVID-19.
"We focus on the positive – more time spent with family, less time commuting to work," she said. "And if men are feeling more connected, then they are more likely to address physical health issues too."
Data shows men are at an increased risk of death due to heart disease, cancer and complications from diabetes. This is because most lifestyle-related risk factors – smoking, overuse of alcohol, physical inactivity, overweight/obesity – are more prevalent among males, reports the CMHF. Statistics also show more than 80 per cent of men are stressed by work. Half say they don't exercise enough and 62 per cent describe themselves as unhealthy eaters.
"Our annual campaign is a nation-wide call to action to men, those who love them, those who employ them, and the government to rally together to improve men’s health in Canada," said Hartrick.
"By working easy health tips into their daily routine, men can take small steps that reap big health benefits – things like incorporating healthy snacks, grabbing moments of exercise and mindfulness practice. Healthy lifestyle habits and good relationships have an enormously positive long-term impact on men and their families."
The CMHF features an approachable health engagement site (dontchangemuch.ca) with blogs, articles and tools like a Men's Maintenance Guide and YouCheck. The 20-question assessment, YouCheck, can help determine the likelihood of developing one of the eight diseases/conditions most common to men in Canada: heart attack, Type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer, osteoporosis, erectile dysfunction, low testosterone levels, depression and colon cancer.
CMHF reports it had one million web visitors in 2019, and some 120,000 men have signed up to have health tips regularly sent to their email inbox.
"These tools aren't a diagnosis; they're thought starters," said Hartrick, adding that at 65, he is now focused on health tips around mobility, balance, mindfulness and connection.
Alberta Health Services is also resuming some screening and lab services that were paused in response to COVID-19. That includes FIT testing for colorectal cancer screening (for ages 50-74), one of the three most common cancers for males.
