The state of men’s health in the city of Leeds: using evidence to commission gender-sensitive services.

Introduction As the largest city in northern England, Leeds has a vision to be a healthy and caring city, where the poorest improve their health the fastest. Recent data show sex-differences in mortality and morbidity and the City Council highlighted concerns about men’s engagement with services. A review of men’s health was funded. Methods Interviews were conducted with commissioners. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data (including Census 2011, GP audits and the Public Health Observatory) to determine the health, socio-economic status and local service use of the male population at a city and local area level (MSOA). Content analysis of city-wide strategies was completed to summarise their gender-sensitivity. Results Men were more likely to die prematurely than women (20% of male deaths occurring before age 65 compared to 12% of female deaths) and more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, yet less likely to use available services than women. Whilst men were rarely mentioned specifically, inequalities were a consistent theme in citywide policy. Following this review, the latest Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy highlighted the impact of gender on health outcomes and suggested a more person-centric approach to service provision. The review influenced the ageing-well, healthy living, cancer and mental health service specifications. Conclusion This review identified where men have the greatest needs and provided the evidence needed to get men’s health on the agenda in Leeds. This close working relationship between research and practice demonstrates how academic support can be utilised to improve commissioning and service design.