When you hear the term ‘masculinity,’ what do you imagine?
Many men may imagine an image of a cool man like James Bond and aspire to be like him.
However, this obsession with masculinity may carry unexpected risks.
Joseph D’Andelo of the University of South Florida and his colleagues suggested that the shorter life expectancy of men than women may be due to not only physical and genetic factors but also attitudes toward “masculinity,” and conducted a survey of college students in 62 countries around the world.
There’s a noticeable link between countries that stress ‘masculinity’ and lower life expectancy for men.
Specifically, it has been found that countries that place a high value on “masculinity” have average life expectancies that are approximately 6.7 years shorter and healthy life expectancies that are approximately 6.2 years shorter than countries that place less value on it.
According to the study, Japan is one of the countries where masculinity is considered really important.
Why does masculinity shorten men’s lifespan?
In this article, we will explain the mental and physical disadvantages of being obsessed with “masculinity.”
The negative effects of “masculinity”
The word “masculinity” tends to conjure up positive images, not just of strength and courage, but also honesty, compassion, and responsibility.
Certainly, having such a man will give those around him a sense of trust and security, and will provide him with emotional support.
However, men who want to possess that kind of “masculinity” may need to be careful.
Because this kind of traditional “masculinity” can have a negative impact on mental health.
At Bloomington University, Joel Wong and his team dug into 78 studies to understand how ‘masculinity’ could affect mental health.
The previous studies analyzed used data based on several criteria to measure “masculinity.”
The 11 criteria included being obsessed with winning, controlling one’s emotions, wanting to take risks, believing that violence is necessary to solve problems, wanting to be in control, being sexually active, not relying on others, prioritizing work, trying to dominate women, having contempt for homosexuality, and valuing social status.
Men reading this, how much of the above criteria do you fit?
The meta-analysis found that men who aspire to be more “masculine” are more likely to experience negative mental health effects, including stress, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and lack of body confidence.
The three criteria that showed particularly strong correlations were “sexually active,” “not relying on others,” and “trying to dominate women.”
Why does being obsessed with “masculinity” lead to such negative consequences?
This is thought to be the result of social pressure to be “manly,” emotional repression such as not shedding tears, and difficulty in receiving support from others that tell them they should be “independent,” making it difficult for them to express their own emotions and weaknesses, which makes it easier for them to keep stress and anxiety to themselves.
Obsessing about “masculinity” leads to early death
The negative effects of emphasizing “masculinity” are not limited to mental health issues.
Vandello Joseph of the University of South Florida and his colleagues are investigating whether the shorter life expectancy of men than women may be due not only to physical structure, but also to the aforementioned attitude toward “masculinity.”
Over a four-year period from 2018 to 2022, they surveyed approximately 34,000 university students in 62 countries to survey their attitudes toward “masculinity” and analyzed the relationship with each country’s life expectancy.
“Masculinity” was measured by the extent to which participants agreed with four questions: 1) they care about whether other men are “manly,” 2) some men remain manly even as they get older, 3) even if they have status as a man, they can easily lose it, and 4) “Masculinity” is not fixed and can be lost.
The results showed that the more value a country places on “masculinity,” the more likely men are to drink alcohol, smoke, and be involved in traffic accidents.
And countries that value masculinity have an average life expectancy that is about 6.7 years shorter and a healthy life expectancy that is about 6.2 years shorter than countries that place less value on masculinity.
We also found that this relationship remains unchanged even when controlling for the effects of country wealth and the availability of medical facilities.
According to the research team, in places where masculinity is held in high regard, men may feel pressured to follow strict male role norms, which could result in them taking fewer risks and avoiding healthy behaviors.
Examples of countries that place importance on “masculinity” include Iran, Nigeria, and Ukraine, while examples of countries that do not value masculinity include Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden.
Fun fact: Japan actually values ‘masculinity’ more than the U.S. does.
The fact that the suicide rate for Japanese men is about twice as high as that for women may also be a reflection of the national character that places value on “masculinity.”
Nowadays, it seems that younger people are less likely to be concerned about “masculinity,” but the existence of the culture of seppuku in the past suggests that an attitude that places importance on “masculinity” is still deeply rooted in the younger generation.
The data in this study was obtained from university students, and it is possible that “masculinity” can unconsciously lead to risky behavior, an excessive desire for independence, anxiety, and a lack of confidence, ultimately shortening one’s lifespan.
Of course, not all “masculinity” is bad.
However, men should take a moment to ask themselves if they are pushing themselves too hard or taking risky decisions, thinking “this is unmanly,” such as suppressing their emotions, being overly competitive, or not asking others for help even when they are troubled.