Masculine gender scripts and aging: A focus group study

It has long been noted that men are likely to avoid both health care and health prevention. Masculine gender scripts may be a factor that affects this differential response by men to health issues. Burns and Mahalik (2007) define masculine gender scripts as ways of acting, feeling, and thinking based on socially prescribed norms of masculinity. Few health education and health promotion programs take masculine gender scripts into consideration in program needs assessments or program planning. Therefore, this study examines the focus group results from the masculine gender script perspective, in addition to the other analytic lenses used. Of particular interest was how masculine gender scripts impact men's views on aging. Four focus groups were held with a volunteer sample of men for a total of 32 men, all Caucasian, whose ages ranged from 21-68 (Mean = 42.65). Results indicated that men 1) recognize that their relationship with their bodies change as they age, 2) that masculine gender scripts impact their view on aging, 3) men need to rethink what masculinity means when faced with the challenges of aging, and 4) when men think of aging, they do so in terms of physical activity. Implications for public health education and men's health research will be discussed.