Abstract of Paper presented at the Primary Health Care Conference 2000

This Paper will develop a profile of men and adolescents health by sharing with the conference delegates the data, research and findings based on over 5,500 men who have participated in our Men's Health Promotion Programs. We will also include the findings and issues of over 2,000 Adolescents based on our Lifeskills Program for Adolescents in secondary schools across three States.

There is ample evidence of the health status of men and adolescents through National and State Mortality and Morbidity Rates of health status but very little on the issues of men and adolescents…from any community. Our Best Practice programs help develop a profile of the issues of men and adolescents.

The MAN model, has encouraged men through our Men's Health Programs to talk about their issues and to identify what health and wellbeing issues they wish to address through the process of a questionnaire developed in collaboration with Latrobe University Bendigo.

The same process has been developed with Adolescents through our Lifeskills Program in Secondary Schools that gives adolescents the chance to express openly their issues, highlight their concerns and tackle the problems of "growing up".

The result of these activities is a very valuable insight into the male gender and the concerns of adolescents. These results provide us with a pathway of understanding, which then provides Health Practitioners with a Best Practice approach to dealing with local health issues.

In sharing our knowledge with General Practitioners, Health Workers, Teachers, and other Health Professionals at the conference we hope that the issues of communities based around men, adolescents and families will be more easily addressed.

Our programs achieve this within communities by providing support, training and professional development programs through

• Men's Health Programs
• Lifeskills Program for Adolescents
• GP and Health Practitioner Professional Development Sessions
• Workplace Health Programs
• The value of Evaluation and Data Analysis
• and sharing the results with the whole community.

This Paper will provide evidence to other Health Professionals that the male gender and adolescents GIVEN the right opportunity in the right setting will accept and value the importance of their own Health and Wellbeing and also that the MAN Model is a SUSTAINABLE and CAPACITY BUILDING program that achieves long term health goals for communities.