Healthy masculinities? How ostensibly healthy men talk about lifestyle, health and gender

Research on men's health has predominantly focussed on links between 'hegemonic' masculinities (e.g. perceived invulnerability) and health-averse practices (e.g. high fat diets). However, it seems reasonable to assume that not all men adopt conventional 'unhealthy' masculine positions, so it is important to study those men who are engaged in healthy practices to see how masculinity is constructed in this context. The research reported here derives from an interview study with men categorised as pursuing health-promoting lifestyles (regular exercise, no/low alcohol intake etc.). The focus is on how these apparently 'healthy' men (n = 10) account for their health-promoting practices, with a particular focus on the role of masculinities in framing these practices. Following intensive analysis of the interview transcripts drawing upon elements of discourse analysis, we identify a variety of accounts used by the men to frame their health-promoting practices. For example, all the men disavowed a direct interest in talking/thinking about health, construed as excessive and feminine, and instead justified their practices variously in terms of action-orientation, sporting targets, appearance concerns and being autonomous. These findings are discussed with respect to the relationships between masculinities and health, and implications for health promotion work with men are discussed.