(364) Development of a Men’s Health Report Card for the State of Florida
Authors: Ruiz-Perez E , Gordon A , Levine A , Kava B 
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Collecting regional health data that identifies causes of morbidity and mortality is imperative in order to guide the planning and implementation of programs and policies that will ultimately improve men’s health. Unintentional impact accidents are a major source of morbidity and mortality for young males across the United States. Other potentially reversible behaviors that have adverse behaviors that n’s health include smoking, vaping, and failing to undergo recommended cancer screenings. Corroborating this data on a regional level within our state of Florida, as well as understanding the prevalence of activities and behaviors that may adversely impact men’s health is important to build a strategy that reverses these trends.

Objective

The overarching goal was to develop a Men’s Health Report Card for the State of Florida which elucidated important health data that could be used to drive an evidence-based men’s health initiative for our state.  In this study, we sought to evaluate the impact of accidental injuries on mortality and define specifics associated with those accidental injuries that may be used to mitigate the incidence of accidental deaths,

Methods

Data was obtained from various sources to develop a Men's Health Report Card for the State of Florida. The sources include the United States Census Bureau (USCB), the State Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health (FDH). The demographic data obtained from the USCB includes information on the population size, age distribution, race, and ethnicity breakdown within Florida. FDH contributed health indicator data from multiple sources. This data includes information from death certificates, providing insight into the leading causes of death for men in Florida, including COVID-19 death reports specific to gender and age. USCB American Community Survey provides data on social determinants of health, such as high school graduation rates and income levels falling below the federal poverty guidelines. CDC National Center for Health Statistics Mortality in the United States Report provides data on life expectancy in Florida and the United States organized by race and sex. The data spanned from the years 2015 and 2018.

Results

Figure 1 highlights some of the important information that was gleaned with regard to the state of Men’s Health in Florida. On average, Floridian men had a 5- year shorter life expectancy at birth than their female counterparts. Leading causes of male deaths in our state include heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lung disease, and cerebrovascular disease. The relative incidence of these sources of mortality is age dependent. It is notable that among young males, ages 18-54 years old, unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide accounted for approximately 75% of male deaths. With respect to health behaviors: smoking and vaping, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, alcohol abuse, and not wearing a seat belt remain highly prevalent among Floridian males. Notable among the cancer screenings, 30% of Floridian men over 50 years have never had a colonoscopy and 40% of men 50 years and older have never had a serum PSA test. Finally, it is notable that 15% of Floridian males could not see a physician due to cost, and close to 20% had no healthcare insurance coverage.

Conclusions

The State of Florida Men’s Health Report card defines significant causes of morbidity and mortality for Floridian males. As can be seen in this report, many of the sources of morbidity and mortality arise from unhealthy lifestyle choices, which if addressed could potentially reverse some of these trends. Racial, ethnic, and geographic health disparities among Floridian males exist and will require further work in the future to remedy this situation.

Disclosure

No.