Abstract of Paper being presented at the
6th National Rural Health Conference March 2001

The efforts of the health care industry to raise men's awareness and participation in attending to their own health needs, has Not gone far enough. Men are poor consumers of health care services. Males continue to undertake "risky behaviour" even with the persistent efforts of the media and the Industry to highlight the risks.

Men need to be better Engaged to learn about themselves. Especially those risk factors that can impact on their mortality and threaten their mental health

Males typically go to the General Practitioner (GP) or Hospital when they have symptoms, unlike women who practise health care.

The health industry is yet to better identify ways to:

• Best approach the wider community of men
• Inspire men's interest in preventative health care
• Attract men's attention to the health care system
• Raise awareness of the value of health practitioner's advice

Our Paper is based on findings from men and women over 5 years across Rural and Remote Australia that will demonstrate our Rural Model of Health Promotion. This Model has developed a pathway for the education and empowerment of males to Recognise their risks and then be preventative rather than reactionary, about their health needs.

It is important to recognise that men are different and that their needs are different. This knowledge provides Health Practitioners with a greater ability to engage and achieve results for men.

Men's Health is an important community issue. The result of male 'unwellness', both physically and mentally, affects families, relationships, communities and the workplace.

The Centre for Advancement of Men's Health (CAMH) has developed a Model that clearly demonstrates that men are interested in their health. It also shows that Health Practitioners and Partners need to engage with men in a way that encourages and supports them to reduce their risk factors.

Recognition of risks empowers individuals to reduce risks.

Men's Health Initiatives should learn from women's health. A greater awareness of their health status will enable men in the wider community to implement this knowledge to reduce their risks. This is what our model aims to achieve.