WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a recent blog post, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf delved into the troubling decline in men’s health across the United States. This piece, titled “Men’s Health is Falling Behind – Some Thoughts About Why,” is the second in a series examining the root causes of this disturbing trend.
Dr. Califf identified three key factors contributing to the deterioration of men’s health: income, employment, and education. He noted a significant drop in male labor force participation, from 80% in 1970 to 68% in 2020. Men disproportionately work in sectors impacted by automation, and poor health exacerbates this trend. Twenty-six percent of men of prime working age report being unable to work due to sickness, compared to 18% of women. Additionally, men lag in educational attainment, with only 40% of college students being male by 2021, a gap that is widening globally and is even more pronounced among Black and Hispanic men.
Dr. Califf emphasized the interconnected nature of work, education, and health. Healthier individuals typically fare better in education and employment, creating a self-reinforcing cycle. He pointed out that income is a strong determinant of health, with the adage “zip code trumps genetic code” underscoring the impact of socioeconomic status on health outcomes. Employment provides access to private health insurance, another crucial factor in maintaining health. Men are also overrepresented in high-risk professions, such as logging and roofing, which further jeopardizes their well-being. Education affects not only job prospects but also health literacy, which in turn impacts medical outcomes. Men generally have lower health literacy than women, leading to worse health outcomes, including higher hospital admission rates and mortality.
Dr. Califf also highlighted the issue of risk-taking behavior among men. While taking risks can be beneficial in some contexts, it often leads to negative health outcomes. Men are more likely to smoke, have unhealthy diets, and engage in behaviors that harm their health. This risk-taking extends to the realm of medical misinformation, where men are less likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 despite their higher risk of death from the virus. Lower health literacy and greater reliance on social media may make men more susceptible to misinformation.
Dr. Califf called for increased awareness and understanding of the drivers behind men’s declining health. He stressed the importance of generating awareness about this issue and developing strategies to reverse this trend.
“Given these observations, I believe the first and perhaps most important thing we can do now is to generate awareness about this evolving and concerning situation,” Dr. Califf wrote. “We will all benefit from learning how those factors interact and reinforce each other and creating strategies and interventions for reversing this trend.”
Dr. Califf’s insights provide a critical lens through which to view the complex interplay of socioeconomic factors and health, urging a collective effort to address the underlying causes of men’s declining health in the U.S.
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