Men’s Sheds as an alternative healthcare route? A qualitative study

Men’s Sheds Research Update

Men’s Sheds as an alternative healthcare route? A qualitative study of the impact of Men’s Sheds on user’s health improvement behaviours

Glasgow Caledonian University’s latest paper from the three-year Sheds for Sustainable Development Project has been published by the Bio-Medical Central (BMC) Public Health on the 20th March 2021 and is available on their website at:

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-10585-3​

As men’s health is an underrepresented area of policy and practice, there have been calls for more ‘male-friendly’ approaches to get men to think about and look after their health. While Men’s Sheds are recognised for the health and wellbeing impacts they can bring to their users, less is known about the effects that Sheds can have on men’s behaviours and attitudes towards their health. 

While Sheds aren’t formal healthcare providers, this paper outlines the ways that Sheds encourage men to look after their health and wellbeing in both obvious and non-obvious ways in an alternative informal and supportive ‘male-friendly’ environment. For example, the ways that Shed activities can provide a distraction from illness or adversity, how men can become educated on aspects of male health and how the support that Shedders receive can make them feel better about their health situations. 

For more information about the GCU Sheds for Sustainable Development Project (funded by The National Lottery Community Fund), please contact Dani at Danielle.kelly@gcu.ac.uk 

Research paper released—Men’s Sheds in Scotland: the potential for improving the health of men

The latest research paper ‘Men’s Shed in Scotland; the potential for improving the health of men’ from Glasgow Caledonian University’s three-year Sheds for Sustainable Development Project has now been published in the Journal of Public Health Policy.

Recently policy has focused on the role of community-based organisations and the ways that they are tackling local health issues, such as social isolation and loneliness. 

Men’s Sheds have been recognised for the health and wellbeing impacts they have on those who use them, therefore, questions have been raised over their ability to become deliverers of formal healthcare to ‘hard to reach’ men in communities. 

With this in mind, a study was conducted with Sheds in Scotland to identify challenges to Shed sustainability and development that may affect their ability to deliver formal healthcare. 

Findings showed that a reliance on ageing and retired volunteers to undertake operational tasks and generate income to fund activities affected the ability of Sheds to sustain and develop. 

Shed members also did not wish their Sheds to become formal healthcare deliverers, preferring to keep their activities informal and flexible to fit with the needs of their members. 

In conclusion, although Sheds are recognised for their health and wellbeing benefits to men, policymakers must recognise that formalising their activities might detract from the Shed’s primary aims. Therefore, there must be a consideration of tensions that exist in placing expectations of Sheds to expand their remit and formalise into service delivery. 

Read the full research paper here.

Dr Danielle Hutcheon (nee Kelly)
Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health
Glasgow Caledonian University

Briefing – Sheds for Sustainable Development Project: Men’s Sheds as an alternative route for male health engagement

The latest briefing (April 2020) from the Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) Sheds for Sustainable Development Project (funded by the National Lottery Community Fund) is now available.

What the study suggests is that Men’s Sheds not only have positive impacts on the physical, mental and social health of their users, but also on member’s behaviours and attitudes around their health and the health of others.

This includes INCREASES IN MEN’S HEALTH SEEKING BEHAVIOURS, such as learning about health issues in a ‘male friendly’ way, or improving diet and exercise. IMPROVEMENTS IN MEN’S RESILIENCE AND ABILITY TO COPE WITH ILLNESS, such as managing pain or stress. And finally, men’s INCREASED ABILITY TO RECOVER FROM ILLNESS through physical activity, social contact and sharing experiences with others.

However, what is clear is that Men’s Sheds do not have the capacity to become a ‘formalised’ or alternative health service as this is simply outside of their remit and does not fit with the Shed ‘ethos’. Therefore, health practitioners and policymakers may need to find new novel ways of working in partnership in Men’s Sheds to benefit.

Although we may be going through some tough times with current lockdowns, we look forward to continuing to share this work and keep the conversations going!

Click here to download the latest briefing

Sheds for Sustainable Development Project: The Health and Wellbeing Impacts of Men’s Sheds on their Users

The Glasgow Caledonian University ‘Sheds for Sustainable Development Project’ – now in its second year of a three-year project – has released its next policy briefing outlining emerging findings from their in-depth study on the health and wellbeing impacts of Shed activity.

The University will continue to produce these short policy briefings throughout the remainder of the project.  For further information on the project and for previous publications/reports please click here.