Intensions Study in Toronto Sun

On June 11, 2018, the Toronto Sun published an article titled, ‘Canadian men live unhealthy lifestyles: Study’. The article was based on the findings from our recent Intensions Consulting and Canadian Men’s Health Foundation study on the Five Health Habits of Canadian Men.

To quote from the article: “Junk food, booze, smoking and lack of sleep. All of these factors contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle. According to a study, 72% of men in Canada have two or more traits that lead to this type of lifestyle. The Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMHF) compiled the first national study on men’s health behaviours. The study - which coincides with Canadian Men’s Health Week - looks at five health behaviours that prevent chronic disease.”

For a full copy of the article, please click the link below:
- https://torontosun.com/health/diet-fitness/canadian-men-live-unhealthy-lifestyles-study

Intensions Study: Five Health Habits of Canadian Men

Recently Intensions Consulting and the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation released a new study that found seventy-two percent of Canadian men regularly demonstrate two or more unhealthy behaviours, including a poor diet, smoking cigarettes, problem drinking, not exercising or not getting regular sleep.

The study, which was published in the latest edition of the Canadian Urological Association Journal, involved an online survey with 2000 Canadian men between the ages of 19 and 94 years. Through this survey we discovered that:

- 20% of Canadian men were occasional or regular smokers;

- 39% of Canadian men screened positive for alcohol overuse or problem drinking;

- 49% of Canadian men did not get enough weekly exercise (under 150 minutes a week);

- 54% of Canadian men had unhealthy sleep patterns; and

- 62% of Canadian men had unhealthy diets.

Dr. Larry Goldenberg - UBC

“This is the first time that these five behaviours have been studied together, and they provide us with a unique way of classifying the overall health of Canadian men”, said Nick Black, Managing Partner at Intensions Consulting and study co-author. “As researchers, we were surprised and concerned by the number of Canadian men who were reporting multiple unhealthy habits.”

The study findings revealed that only 6% of Canadian men had zero unhealthy habits. In contrast, 22% had one unhealthy habit, 31% had two unhealthy habits, and 41% had three of more unhealthy habits. This finding was particularly concerning, given that each additional unhealthy behaviour is associated with an increased risk of mortality or premature death.

According to Dr. Larry Goldenberg, Professor of Urologic Sciences at UBC and a study co-author, the results give the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation a platform to study healthy behaviour of men over time. “I hope other researchers will use this platform to study different populations around the globe and design targeted interventions to engage men to live healthier lifestyles. After all, 70% of men’s chronic health conditions are caused by lifestyle and, unlike genetics, can be changed to improve your health.”

ABOUT THIS STUDY

This study, conducted by Intensions Consulting and the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation, involved an online survey with a sample of 2000 Canadian males between the ages of 19 and 94. The study was published recently in the Canadian Urological Association Journal. For a copy of the detailed findings, please click: http://dx.doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.5454

Intensions Study on CKNW

On April 30, 2018, CKNW invited us into the studio to discuss our recent Intensions Consulting and UBC study on The New Values of Millennial Men. Hosted by Jon McComb, the interview explored the emerging importance of selflessness, openness, and strength, among young Canadian men.


To quote from the interview: "The stereotype of the hedonistic, hyper-competitive young man who engages in dangerous and risky activities may still remain, but it is no longer a true picture of a masculine man. This has even led to reports that the life expectancy gap between men and women is quickly shrinking".

To listen to the interview, please click the link below:
- https://omny.fm/shows/the-jon-mccomb-show/modern-day-masculinity

Intensions Study in The Star

On April 25, 2018, The Star published an article titled, 'Nine in 10 young men say ‘selflessness’ is a masculine trait'. Written by Wanyee Li, the article was based on the findings from our recent Intensions Consulting and UBC study on The New Values of Millennial Men.

To quote from the article: "These findings fly in the face of traditional ideas of what being masculine means, said John Oliffe, founder of UBC’s Men’s Health Research Program. “We were very surprised by these young men. They value openness, selflessness and well-being, or health. I think those things help us think about the diversity within the group of men.” He conducted the study in partnership with Nick Black at Intensions Consulting. Oliffe acknowledged it is possible men are still holding on to long-time ideals like chivalry but are simply expressing them in a different way - by calling it selflessness instead, for example.”

For a full copy of the article, please click the link below:
- https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/04/25/nine-in-10-young-men-say-selflessness-is-a-masculine-trait-ubc-study.html

Intensions Study in The Mirror

On April 26, 2018, The Mirror published an article titled, ‘Male Millennials value EMOTIONS over physical strength, study reveals’. Written by Shivali Best, the article was based on the findings from our recent Intensions Consulting and UBC study on The New Values of Millennial Men.

To quote from the article: "The results revealed that the most strongly endorsed value was selflessness, with 91 per cent of the men agreeing that that a man should help other people. Openness also ranked highly, with 88 per cent saying that a man should be open to new ideas, new experiences, and new people. More traditionally ‘male’ values ranked lower on the scale. While 75 per cent of the men said a man should have physical strength, 83 per cent said they should have emotional strength.”

For a full copy of the article, please click the link below:

- https://www.mirror.co.uk/science/male-millennials-value-emotions-over-12430531

Intensions Study in Men's Health

On April 27, 2018, Men’s Health published an article titled, ‘Millennial Men May Be More Selfless Than Older Generations’. Written by Melissa Matthews, the article was based on the findings from our recent Intensions Consulting and UBC study on The New Values of Millennial Men.

To quote for the article: “When you hear the word "millennial," you might picture a wannabe Instagram influencer who still hasn't moved out of his parents' house five years after graduating college — someone who's fine with being lazy and entitled. But it turns out, today's young men may be anything but. Seeking insights on ways to improve gender-specific healthcare, a recent study asked 630 Canadian men ages 15 to 29 to identify the values they thought all guys should embody. Chief among them were selflessness, social consciousness, and openness - a change from the traditional masculine values of older guys.”

For a full copy of the article, please click the link below:

- https://www.menshealth.com/health/a20076384/millennials-more-selfless-than-older-men

Intensions Study in Slate Magazine

On May 11, 2018, Slate Magazine published an article titled, ‘Une définition plus ouverte de la masculinité permettrait aux hommes de gagner en longévité.’ Written by Peggy Sastre, the article was based on the findings from our recent Intensions Consulting study on The New Values of Millennial Men.

To quote for the article: “Quelques jours plus tôt, des chercheurs de l'université de la Colombie-Britannique, associés à l'institut de sondage Intensions Consulting, publiaient une étude montrant que les Canadiens âgés de 15 à 29 ans semblent délaisser les valeurs masculines traditionnelles –l'égoïsme, l'hédonisme, la compétition– pour leur préférer l'ouverture à autrui et le souci de son propre bien-être, physique comme psychique.”

For a full copy of the article, please click the link below:

- http://www.slate.fr/story/161572/sante-etude-canada-hommes-valeurs-traditionnelles-nouvelle-definition-masculinite-impact-esperance-de-vie

 

Intensions Study on Global News

Last month Global News published an article titled, 'What makes a man? Millennials say selflessness, openness, personal health'. Written by Monique Scotti, the article was based on the findings from our recent Intensions Consulting and UBC study on The New Values of Millennial Men.

"Young men in Canada are increasingly breaking away from traditional stereotypes" Image: Global News

To quote from the article: "Ninety-one per cent of respondents agreed that a man should help other people, the results showed, and about 80 per cent believed that a man should give back to his community. A full 88 per cent said a man should be open to new ideas, new experiences, and new people. Black said the shift in stated priorities may be part of a broader societal change, and that men are increasingly seeing themselves as caregivers."

For a full copy of the article, please click the link below:

- https://globalnews.ca/news/4169861/millennial-men-selflessness-openness-health-study

Intensions Consulting: New Values of Millennial Men

Last month Intensions Consulting and the University of British Columbia released a new study examining the values of millennial men.

Dr. John Oliffe, UBC

The study surveyed 630 young men ages 15-29 in Western Canada and found that the most strongly endorsed masculine value is selflessness. Ninety-one per cent of the men agreed that a man should help other people, and 80 per cent believed that a man should give back to the community. Openness also ranked highly—88 per cent said a man should be open to new ideas, new experiences, and new people—and so did health, with a majority of participants saying that men should be healthy or in good shape.

More traditionally “male” values ranked lower on the scale, but were still valued by the majority participants. Seventy-five per cent of the men said that a man should have physical strength, compared with those who said a man should have intellectual strength (87 per cent) or emotional strength (83 per cent). Autonomy also tracked lower with 78 per cent of the men agreeing that a man should be “independent.”

“Young Canadian men seem to be holding masculine values that are distinctly different from those of previous generations. These values may run counter to long-standing claims that young men are typically hedonistic, hypercompetitive, and that they risk or neglect their health,” said lead author John Oliffe, a nursing professor who leads the men’s health research program at UBC.

Nick Black, managing partner at Intensions Consulting and a study co-author, believes many young Canadian men are expanding their definition of masculinity to include values like openness and well-being.

“As a millennial myself, I can see these values reflected in the lives of men around me,” said Black. “They want to be both caring and strong, both open to others and self-sufficient, and they see no contradiction in these values.”

Oliffe says more research is needed to include other age groups and geographical locations, but adds that the current results could be useful for designing more effective men’s health-care programs. “The life expectancy gap is closing between men and women, and I hope that additional gains are mustered through these emerging health-related values – and our continued work in men’s health,” said Oliffe.

ABOUT THIS STUDY

This study, conducted by Intensions Consulting and the University of British Columbia, involved qualitative interviews with a sample of 30 Canadian males between the ages of 15 and 29, and an online survey with a sample of 600 Canadian males between the ages of 15 and 29. The study was published last week in the journal Psychology of Men & Masculinity. For a copy of the detailed findings, please click: http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-16007-001

Intensions Study on Global News & CTV

Last month, Global News and CTV aired television segments discussing the findings from our recent Intensions Consulting study on Men's Sleep. Both the the Global News story titled, 'Study finds one in three Canadian men are sleep-deprived', and the CTV story titled, 'Sleepless in Canada', used our research to help raise awareness about men's sleep patterns.

To watch the Global News segment, please click the link below:

To watch the CTV segment, please click the link below:
 

Intensions Study on the CBC

On July 25, 2016, the CBC published two articles titled, '30% of Canadian men not getting enough sleep' and 'Un tiers des hommes canadiens manquent de sommeil, selon une étude.' These articles were based on our recent Intensions Consulting study on Men's Sleep patterns across Canada.

"A lack of sleep could lead to serious health complications, so put the iPhone to bed." Image: CBC

To quote from one of the articles: "The study included a survey of 500 Canadian men between the ages of 30 and 49. Nearly half of the subjects in the study said they woke up feeling tired instead of refreshed. Wayne Hartrick, president of the Canadian Men's Health Foundation, told CBC's Early Edition that sleep deprivation can be a factor in a number of health problems."

For a full copy of the articles, please click the links below:
-    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/lack-of-sleep-study-1.3693672
- http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/colombie-britannique/2016/07/25/002-sommeil-hommes-dormir-manque.shtml

Intensions Consulting: Men's Sleep Study

This month the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMHF) and Intensions Consulting released a new study examining the sleep habits of Canadian men.

Dr. Larry Goldenberg, CMHF

The study, which surveyed 500 Canadian men between the ages of 30 and 49, found that a third (33%) of men are only getting 4 to 6 hours of sleep each night. This amount of sleep is much lower than the 7 to 8 hours recommended by health experts, and may explain why nearly half of Canadian men (49%) said they often wake up feeling tired or not refreshed in the morning.

“Men may be surprised to learn that getting at least 7 hours of sleep is a great way to speed up your metabolism, reduce your chances of having a heart attack, prostate cancer and developing type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Larry Goldenberg, Chairman of the CMHF. “In some cases, for men experiencing erectile dysfunction, the cause may be OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) which is characterized by snoring and breathless spells during sleep. Overall, sleep impacts your health and well-being.”

When exploring evening routines that could contribute to this lack of sleep, the study found that 45% of Canadian men often stay up late watching television, 41% often stay up late browsing the Internet, and 34% often eat food before going to bed. All three of these evening routines are easy to change, and all three were found to have a significant impact on the average amount of sleep men get each night.

“It’s can be tough to switch off electronic devices before you go to sleep, but the mind needs time to unwind,” said Shea Emry, CMHF Champion and retired CFL linebacker. “Guys shouldn’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep to ensure a healthy state of mind for their mental health and well-being.”

ABOUT THIS STUDY

These are the findings of an Intensions Consulting study conducted between April 26, 2016 and April 29, 2016, on behalf of the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation. For this study, an online survey was administered with a sample of 500 English-speaking Canadian men between the ages of 30 and 49. The sample was stratified to reflect the distribution of Canadian men aged 30 to 49 living in different Canadian provinces, according to Census 2011 data. A traditional unweighted probability sample of this size would produce results considered accurate to within plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. For more information about this study, please click here.

Intensions in Community Mental Health Journal

This month Intensions Consulting and Men's Health Research published an important new article in the Community Mental Health Journal titled, 'Stigma in Male Depression and Suicide: A Canadian Sex Comparison Study'.

Co-authored by seven experts including Dr. John Oliffe, Professor of Nursing at the University of British Columbia, and Dr. John Ogrodniczuk, Professor of Psychotherapy at the University of British Columbia, the article explored findings from our recent Canadian study on adult beliefs concerning male depression and suicide.

This quantitative study (n=901) was the first in Canada to examine stigma toward men with depression and men who suicide. To quote from the article, "given that a greater proportion of male respondents tended to endorse stigmatizing views of male depression and suicide, there is a need for health messaging and programs to target men in gender-sensitive and specific ways." 

For a full copy of the article, please click the link below:
- http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10597-015-9986-x

Intensions Consulting - Male Depression & Suicide Stigma from Intensions Consulting Inc.

Intensions Consulting Men's Depression & Suicide Study

Last month the Men's Depression and Suicide Network released a small portion of an Intensions Consulting study exploring the levels of public awareness and stigma surrounding men's depression and suicide in Canada. The team at Intensions are proud to contribute our expertise and assistance to this important Movember funded mental health project. If you would like to read the original article you can click here, otherwise a copy is provided below:

Canadian Survey on Men's Depression & Suicide

A national survey has found that almost one quarter of Canadian men surveyed have considered or attempted suicide, and almost half of them have a close male family member or friend diagnosed or treated for depression. The study, by the University of British Columbia’s Men’s Depression and Suicide Network, found low levels of stigma toward others who experience mental health difficulties, but that many men hold negative attitudes about having a mental illness themselves. The survey sampled 901 English-speaking Canadian adults aged 18 to 83.

“These findings show us that a lot of guys hang onto paralyzing negative attitudes about being depressed themselves,” said the network’s co-director Dr. John Ogrodniczuk. “This points to the need for more interventions and programs to help men overcome the difficulty they experience in getting help from a health-care professional.”

Some Survey Highlights

- 23% of Canadian men surveyed have been diagnosed or treated for depression.

- 23% of Canadian men surveyed have considered or attempted suicide.

- 26% of Canadian adults surveyed have a close male family member or friend who has discussed or attempted suicide in the past 10 years.

- 46% of Canadian adults surveyed have a close male family member or friend who has been diagnosed or treated for depression in the past 10 years.

About the Study

These are the findings of a survey conducted by Intensions Consulting between August 29 and September 11, 2014 on behalf of the Men’s Depression and Suicide Network. For this survey, a sample of 901 English-speaking Canadian adults aged 18 to 83 from an online panel were interviewed. The sample was stratified and weightings were employed to balance demographics, ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. While sampling error cannot be estimated for non-probability samples such as the sample used to conduct this survey, a traditional unweighted probability sample of comparable size would have produced results considered accurate to within plus or minus 4.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

About the Men's Depression & Suicide Network

In 2013, Movember, a global fundraising movement to raise awareness of men’s health issues, funded the Men’s Depression and Suicide Network. This partnership includes ongoing research and evaluation of how network programs and initiatives are influencing public awareness of male depression and suicide. The Men’s Depression and Suicide Network currently has five projects underway, all with the aim of improving the mental health and wellbeing of men (and their families) of differing ages and life stages. The network’s co-directors are UBC professors John Ogrodniczuk and John Oliffe.