Making a connection

Helping doctors connect with Generation X and Y.

MEN from Generation X and Y are at a critical point in their lives. They are in their 20s to their 40s, the period when they are making crucial choices that influence their lifestyles, such as their eating habits, activity levels and stress levels.

What they do and how they live now, during these two to three decades of their lives, will determine their risk for chronic diseases, and even life-threatening events later in life.

Unfortunately, many men from Gen X and Y are not even aware that they are on the cusp of this turning point in their lives, and are making many unhealthy choices that they will live to regret later.

Many of these poor choices are rooted in mens lack of awareness and knowledge about certain health basics.

Generation gap

Many men in Malaysia still have a lot of misconceptions about general health and male sexual issues.

For instance, there are men who think that erectile dysfunction (ED) is caused by too much masturbation, or confuse ED with premature ejaculation (PE). Some men think that eating a healthy diet means buying expensive foods, while others see exercise as a sacrifice of their time.

These findings are from the Generation X & Y Health Study that was carried out by the Malaysian Mens Health Initiative (MMHI) in the Klang Valley from 2009 to 2010.

This qualitative survey was aimed at exploring mens attitudes towards various aspects of health, priorities in life, health needs and health-seeking behaviours.

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Making a connection