Health-Promoting Home and Workplace Neighborhoods: Associations With Multiple Facets of Men’s Health

Abstract

Despite the importance of healthy settings for health promotion, little is known about how neighborhood characteristics affect men’s health. The present study aims to explore the associations between perceptions of home and workplace neighborhoods with diverse health outcomes, and to examine mediating mechanisms. A sample of 669 men members of labor unions in Quebec, Canada, completed a questionnaire assessing social and physical aspects of their work and home neighborhoods (the Health-Promoting Neighborhood Questionnaire) as well as subjective and objective health outcomes (perceived health, positive mental health, body mass index) and potential mediators (health behaviors, self-efficacy). Structural equation modeling (path analysis) revealed that the Health-Promoting Neighborhood Questionnaire was associated with all three health outcomes, either directly or indirectly through health behaviors and self-efficacy. Both home and workplace neighborhoods were associated with men’s health, home neighborhood being more strongly associated. The findings suggest that physical and social aspects of neighborhood might contribute to men’s health. The study highlights positive environmental levers for urban planners, policy makers, and health professionals to promote men’s health.

Risk Perception & Risk-Reduction Behavior Model for Blue-Collar Workers: Adapted From the Health Promotion Model

“…It also has implications for health promotion in the workplace and community. Further, the HPM can be applied to almost any population (e.g., women, youths, the elderly, and workers) throughout multiple developmental stages ( McCullagh et al, 2002 ; Wu and Pender, 2002 ; Naumanen, 2006 ; Coulombe et al, 2017 ; Joseph-Shehu et al, 2019 ) and among patients with chronic diseases ( Carson et al, 2014 ; Oh and Yi, 2017 ; Yen and Li, 2019 ). It is also useful for understanding the psychosocial and environmental effects on health-promoting behavior in both the academic and practical settings due to a complex look at the relationships between health-promoting behavior and the importance of various related factors.…”

“…For example, the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile instrument was successfully used to measure the HPM’s concepts. Several studies have also implemented the model in the workplace setting ( McCullagh et al, 2002 ; Hwang et al, 2015 ; Coulombe et al, 2017 ; Joseph-Shehu et al, 2019 ; Voskuil et al, 2019 ). Further, researchers have predicted certain health-promoting behaviors according to its embedded theory, including those related to exercise, nutrition, interpersonal support, stress management, and the use of hearing protection ( McCullagh et al, 2002 ; Joseph-Shehu et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Another study among employees of large companies (e.g., 250 or more employees) found that perceived health status was positively related to health-promoting behaviors aimed at diet and weight control ( Coulombe et al, 2017 ). Here, perceived personal competence, the definition of health, perceived health status, and perceived control of health accounted for 31% of all variance in the examined health-promoting lifestyle patterns ( Coulombe et al, 2017 ). Successful worksite health promotion and disease prevention programs appear rooted in the assessment of personal perceptions among employees.…”

Spousal positive social control and men’s health behaviors and self-efficacy

“…The main purpose of that project was to identify individual (adherence to masculinity norms, fatherhood, and marital status) and environmental (social relationships, neighborhood, and working conditions) determinants of men’s health behaviors and beliefs (self-efficacy and locus of control). Results concerning the association between adherence to masculinity norms and health behaviors (Houle et al, 2015), and the influence on men’s health of home and workplace neighborhood, have been published elsewhere (Coulombe et al, 2016).…”