Affiliations: [a] Department of Health Professions, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA | [b] Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA | [c] Men’s Health Initiative, Inc., Orlando, FL, USA | [d] Behavioral Health Research Group, University of Central Florida, FL, USA | [e] Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, SC, USA | [f] Department of Public Health, University of South Carolina, SC, USA
Abstract: Young adult and adolescent males (YAAM) experience disparate health outcomes as compared to their female counterparts despite wellness promotion services targeted specifically for this population. One major obstacle in bringing about a truer sense of public health is the lack of evidence-based research on health-related attitudes, perceptions, and lived experiences of YAAMs. This implies the presence of systemic issues in the way YAAM health and wellness information is gathered and input into health informatics systems, which therefore leads to a need to improve current strategies of service within this population. A novel methodological approach, known as structured phenomenology, was created to identify the underlying mechanisms contributing to the current health disparities experienced by males. It could also provide a thematic structure from which more accurate and reliable information, as well as communication systems for YAAMs, can be created. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted to learn about YAAM health behavior decisions and related outcomes. Participant responses produced eight core themes as it related to YAAM health and wellness. These extracted data create an opportunity to better inform prevention and intervention support services for this population in order to improve proximal, intermediate, and distal health outcomes through the creation of an original, validated assessment tool.
Keywords: male health disparities, structured phenomenology, adolescents, healthcare systems, young adults
