The social and behavioral foundations of men's health - A public health perspective

This article presents an overview of (1) the reported causes of death for men; (2) actual causes of these deaths; (3) other measures of male health behaviors that influence health status; (4) the role of gender as a determinant of health; (5) current knowledge about the links between health and behavior; (6) the influence of selected dimensions of the social environment (poverty, socioeconomic status, racism, and social capital) on health status and outcomes; and (7) theories and models used to understand individual behaviors that affect health, and to develop interventions that promote health enhancing behaviors.