Health of Australia's males

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has recently published two new reports on men's health.

The health of Australia's males: from birth to youngadulthood (0-24 years) focuses on health conditions and risk factors that are age-specific (such as congenital anomalies) and those where large sex differences are observed (such as injury). In 2011, 3.7 million males (more than one-third of the Australian male population) were aged 0-24. While males aged 0-24 are more likely to be hospitalised or die from injury than females of the same age, they are similarly likely to be overweight or obese and less likely to smoke tobacco daily.  Almost 1 in 4 (23%) males aged 16-24 had experienced symptoms of a mental disorder, and 4 in every 1,000 males aged 18-24 had been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. In spite of this, rates of help seeking among young males are low (13%).

The health of Australia's males: 25 years and over continues and completes the life course by focusing on males aged 25 and over.  Males aged 25 and over in 2011 can expect, on average, to live to 80 or over. One in 10 males aged 50-59 (11%) and 60-69 (10%) are, on a daily basis, at risk of injury resulting from excessive alcohol. In 2010 coronary heart disease was the leading cause of death in this group, followed by lung cancer.  Married males have lower mortality rates compared with their never married counterparts-8.1 compared with 12.8 deaths per 1,000 population.