2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

333205
Unpacking “Boy Code”: Social determinants and consequences for morbidity and mortality in adolescent males using 2013 YRBS data


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 9:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

James Leone, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES, College of Education and Allied Studies, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
The “Boy Code” has become a popularized concept in male gender and masculinity research, particularly as it relates to negative (maladaptive) health behaviors in boys and adolescents. Dr. William Pollack originally proposed and discussed this concept so that professionals (and parents) who work/interact with boys and adolescent males could better understand and account for maladaptive mental health and behavioral health issues (i.e. sexual promiscuity, drug abuse, maladaptive coping strategies). Using the core concepts and evidence from the “Boy Code”, for example, having a need to have sex, avoiding anything that would be judged as feminine or gay, and never appearing unsure/incompetent; this session will explore how the constructs of the “Boy Code” correlate to data from the most recent version of the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS). Practical and clinical applications of these data as they pertain to public health programming and policy targeting younger male populations will be discussed. Additionally a social determinants of health paradigm will help support and illustrate how the “Boy Code” can be used for health promotive interventions, programming, and policy development.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the primary constructs of the “Boy Code” Identify how the “Boy Code” interacts with the social determinants of health and male health behaviors. Evaluate the risks associated with the “Boy Code” using 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) survey data. Discuss adaptive strategies to unpack the “Boy Code” and plan public health programming and policy within a gender-sensitive context.

Keyword(s): Adolescents, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been researching and writing in the areas of gender and male health for the past decade. I have evaluated and worked on several programs aimed at advancing male health outcomes. I also teach related courses in male health and public health to a variety of audiences and academic disciplines.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4055.0: Social determinants of male health