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
