Social support as a mediator between masculinity norms and health behaviors among public safety personnel in Kelantan, Malaysia

Men, particularly those in public safety roles, are more prone to engaging in health-risk behaviors due to societal expectations surrounding masculinity. These norms often discourage help-seeking behaviors and encourage self-reliance, which can lead to poorer health outcomes. Previous research has suggested that social support can mitigate the negative effects of rigid masculinity norms on health behaviors. This study aims to explore the mediating role of social support in the relationship between masculinity norms and health behaviors among male public safety personnel in Kelantan, Malaysia. This cross-sectional study involved 257 male public safety personnel (PSPs) from three government uniformed agencies in Kelantan. Participants were recruited through simple random sampling and completed three validated instruments: the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI-30), the Health Behavior Inventory-Short Form (HBI-SF), and the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the mediating effect of social support in the relationship between masculinity norms and health behaviors. SEM analysis revealed that social support fully mediates the relationship between masculinity norms and health behaviors among PSPs. A significant negative association was found between masculinity norms and perceived social support (β = − 0.864, p < 0.001), indicating that stronger adherence to traditional masculinity norms is associated with reduced perceptions of social support. Additionally, perceived social support was significantly associated with healthier behaviors (β = − 0.483, p = 0.001). The indirect effect of masculinity norms on health behaviors through social support was also statistically significant (β = 0.418, p = 0.027), highlighting the critical role of social support in mitigating the adverse health impacts of traditional masculinity norms. This study highlights the importance of social support as a mediator in promoting healthier behaviors among men in high-stress occupations such as PSPs. Interventions aimed at addressing harmful masculinity norms and enhancing perceived social support could effectively improve health outcomes in this population. Public health strategies should prioritize modifying rigid masculine expectations and reinforcing supportive networks to encourage positive health behaviors among PSPs.