GUILDFORD, England,
November 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
- Survey highlights men want to take
charge of their health
but need to be further supported in order to do so
-
Sanofi today announced findings from one of the most
comprehensive global surveys ever undertaken into the perceptions
of men's health, which reveals the overwhelming majority (87%) of
men want to take charge of their health however they are not taking
full advantage of all trusted sources of information and advice
available to them.[1] This debunks
the myth that men often ignore their health and highlights
potential opportunities to deliver more efficient and effective
healthcare to men beyond their doctor.
"While it's great to see that so many men want to take charge of
their health, these survey results reinforce that health services
can still do a better job of engaging with men to make this happen.
Whether it's online or via pharmacies or GPs, designing services to
meet men's needs better means men will get help and advice earlier
- and that can only be a good thing," said Martin Tod, Chief Executive of the Men's Health
Forum (MHF).
Commissioned by Sanofi in cooperation with Global Action on
Men's Health (GAMH) and the Men's Health Network (MHN), the survey
revealed that out of 925 UK men surveyed, 8 out of 10 (83%) claim
to feel confident in identifying health problems when they arise
and 83% of men believed that there are medical conditions for which
obtaining the appropriate medication should not require a visit to
the doctor.[1] Despite this, only
6% of people surveyed say they would most likely seek advice from a
pharmacist as a first point of call and one in ten men (10%)
claimed to have never purchased an over-the-counter medication to
treat an illness.[1]
The survey also explored men's attitudes towards self-care. 83%
of UK men surveyed feel satisfied that currently available health
products address their health needs and 80% agree that
over-the-counter (OTC) medication works
well.[1] Further to this, 87% of
men surveyed believe that using OTC medication means less serious
conditions can be dealt with at a pharmacy rather than the GP
surgery and 70% of men who do seek health advice from their
pharmacist are satisfied with the
outcome.[1]
"At Sanofi we see self-care as a simple but powerful
tool to address global healthcare challenges. It transforms
patients and consumers into caretakers of their own health,
supporting healthy lifestyles and empowerment," said
Duncan Kettles, Head of Consumer
Health Care, Sanofi UK and Ireland. "We hope that by shedding
light on the unmet need in men's
health, there will be greater understanding of
how men can be empowered to maintain their health and
wellbeing, prevent acute and chronic disease, manage ailments and
reduce the growing pressures on our healthcare
systems."
The survey also investigated whether men would feel comfortable
visiting pharmacies for a range of health services and testing for
conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and respiratory
conditions. 70% of male respondents said they would consider using
such services, which are increasing available in pharmacies through
the UK.[1]
A summary of the top line findings have been published to
coincide with International Men's Day and can be viewed online at
http://gamh.org/men4selfcare/ (this is a non-Sanofi site and Sanofi
are not responsible for its content).
Key UK
Findings[1]
- 87% of men want to take charge of their health
- 83% of men claim to feel confident in identifying health
problems when they arise
- 83% of men believe that there are medical conditions for which
obtaining the appropriate medication should not require a visit to
the doctor
- 6% of people say they would most likely seek advice from a
pharmacist as a first point of call
- 10% of men claim to have never purchased an OTC medication to
treat an illness
- 83% of men feel satisfied that currently available health
products address their health needs
- 80% of men agree that OTC medication works well
- 87% of men believe that using OTC medication means less serious
conditions can be dealt with at a pharmacy rather than the GP
surgery
- 70% of men who do seek health advice from their pharmacist are
satisfied with the outcome
- 70% of men would consider using pharmacy services such as
testing for diabetes, heart disease and respiratory conditions
Key Global Survey
Findings[5]
- 87% of men want to take charge of their health
- 83% of men are confident in managing their own health and feel
like they know what to do when they have a health problem
- 55% of men agree there is plentiful information online to help
them choose the right medication
- Almost half of all men cite visiting a doctor as their first
response when faced with a health problem
- 80% of men believe that pharmacists can deal with non-serious
and non-chronic health conditions
About the
Survey[1]
Men's Health: Perceptions from Around the
Globe is one of the largest global surveys ever undertaken to
explore men's perceptions to health. Experts in men's health
believe the findings indicate significant opportunities for
policymakers around the world who are looking for ways to improve
men's health and wellbeing and address related health inequalities
and burdens that result.
The survey was commissioned by Sanofi in cooperation with Global
Action on Men's Health (GAMH) and the Men's Health Network (MHN),
and was conducted among 2,000 demographically representative adults
from each of the following countries: Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, the United
Kingdom and the United
States. The survey was carried out in September 2016 by Opinium Research (Australia and Europe) and Harris Poll (USA).
A summary of the top line findings have been published to
coincide with International Men's Day. The survey was designed to
find out more about men's perception of healthcare and to identify
possible ways to better respond to unmet needs in men's health.
About Self-Care
Self-care is the ability of individuals, families and
communities to promote and maintain health, prevent disease, cope
with illness and disability with or without the support of a
healthcare provider.[2] This can
include physical exercise and sound nutrition, managing one's
health after discharge from hospital and resorting to
self-treatment. Self-care is a simple but powerful tool to address
global healthcare challenges. It transforms patients into
caretakers of their own health, supporting healthy lifestyles and
empowerment.
In the UK self-care is important in both those suffering from
minor ailments and long-term conditions and according to the
Department of Health, 80% of people with long-term conditions can
be supported to manage their own
condition.[3] However, figures
show that in the UK, 57 million people visit their GP and 3.7
million people visit A&E for conditions that could be treated
with self-care and by using over the counter (OTC)
products.[4] Furthermore, the
annual cost to the NHS is over £2
billion.[4]
About Men's Health Forum (MHF) UK
Men's Health Forum (MHF) is a charity whose mission is to be an
independent and authoritative advocate for male health and to
tackle the inequalities affecting the health and wellbeing of boys
and men in England, Wales and Scotland. For more information, visit
http://www.menshealthforum.org.uk
About Men's Health Network
Men's Health Network (MHN) is a U.S. based nonprofit educational
organisation whose mission is to reach men, boys, and their
families where they live, work, play and pray with health
prevention messages and tools, screening programmes, educational
materials, advocacy opportunities and patient navigation. MHN is
made up of physicians, researchers, public health workers,
individuals and other health professionals. For more information,
please visit http://www.menshealthnetwork.org.
About Global Action on Men's
Health
Global Action on Men's Health (GAMH) was established in 2013 and
launched during International Men's Health Week in 2014. It is a
collaborative project that brings together men's health
organisations, and others which share their objectives, in a new
global network. GAMH's mission is to create a world where all men
and boys have the opportunity to achieve the best possible health
and wellbeing wherever they live and whatever their
backgrounds.
About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and
distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs.
Sanofi is organised into five global business units: Diabetes and
Cardiovascular, General Medicines and Emerging Markets, Sanofi
Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Merial. Sanofi is listed in
Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in
New York (NYSE: SNY).
About Sanofi Consumer Healthcare:
Sanofi Consumer Healthcare reported sales of EUR 3.4 bn in 2015. The business is concentrating
on 6 global categories: Allergy, Pain, Digestive Health, Cough
& Cold, Vitamins & Mineral Supplements and Feminine Care.
In June 2016 Sanofi and Boehringer
Ingelheim signed an agreement to swap Sanofi's Animal Health and
Boehringer Ingelheim's Consumer Healthcare business. Until closing
- which is expected by year-end 2016 - the transaction remains
subject to approval by the regulatory authorities in different
geographies.
References
- Data on File: Data on File: UK Perceptions of Men's Health.
2016. SAGB.SA.16.11.1066
- World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia. Self-care in the Context of
Primary Health Care. Report of the Regional Consultation,
Bangkok, Thailand, 7-9 January 2009.
- Department of Health. Department of Health, Departmental Report
2005. Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/272104/6524.pdf
[Last accessed November 2016]
- Proprietary Association of Great
Britain. Self-care. Available at
http://www.pagb.co.uk/self-care/ [Last accessed November 2016]
- Men's Health Perceptions from Around the Globe, Global
Findings. Commissioned by Sanofi - Consumer Health Care (CHC) in
cooperation with Global Action on Men's Health (GAMH) and its
members the Men's Health Network (MHN, US), Men's Health Forum
(UK), Australian Men's Health forum and Men's Health Education
Council. Survey fieldwork was conducted by Opinium Research
(Australia and EU countries) and
Harris Poll (US) from 31 August to 6
September 2016