Report finds Tairāwhiti has the highest rate of premature male death

Men living in Tairāwhiti are nearly twice as likely to die prematurely as those living in Auckland or Waitemata, the Real Face of Men’s Health report says. Tim Marshall (inset top) has called for a better co-ordination of resources. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey (inset bottom) says the Government recognises the complexity of men’s health issues.

An advocate is calling for more co-ordination of men’s health resources as a report finds that Tairāwhiti has the highest rate of male premature mortality.

Analysis in the Real Face of Men’s Health report, produced by the Movember Institute of Men’s Health, showed an age-standardised rate of 347 men per 100,000 in Tairāwhiti died before reaching 75.

The next highest rate was in the Whanganui district, at 303 per 100,000.

Men in Tairāwhiti were nearly twice as likely to die prematurely as those living in Auckland or Waitematā.

Geographic, economic and other societal factors influenced the risk of premature death.

Men in rural areas faced a 37% higher risk of dying prematurely than men in urban areas, the report showed.

Men in the most deprived areas of Aotearoa were nearly 1.5 times more likely to die prematurely than those in the least deprived.

Across all men, the leading causes of premature death in 2020 were ischaemic heart diseases, cancer of digestive organs, and suicide.

Suicide was the leading cause of death among men aged 15–34.

Tim Marshall, co-founder and kaihautu (co-ordinator) of Gisborne-based Tauawhi Men’s Centre, said Tairāwhiti’s place in the data did not come as a surprise to him.

“I think most of us working in this kind of sector, the social sector, know the statistics we have are not that great, so I wasn’t totally surprised.

“That is driven by a whole lot of factors ... our demographic makeup, our geographic isolation and access to suitable healthcare.

“Two-thirds of the people who end their lives in this country are men. They are mostly adult men, and they are mostly men working in industries that we are quite heavily focused on here in Tairāwhiti.”

Marshall, who was awarded a King’s Service Medal earlier this year, said his service dealt with family violence, addictions and childhood trauma, and he knew a lot of the men he saw were not having regular health checks.

“We’ve still got those traditional attitudes for men in that we don’t necessarily go to the doctor and do a proactive health check-up. We just wait until it is crisis time, and that is not only physical health, but also our mental health.”

He hoped the findings of the report would show the extent of the need and prompt the Government to look further into the issue.

“The Government may argue there is a lot of funding that comes into our community already, but it is not always co-ordinated.

“Obviously, resources help, but it is not the only thing. It is also about being able to co-ordinate.

“I know that organisations like Turanga Health have been really proactive in getting out into workplaces and offering health checks. Every now and again, we get visits from the Heart Foundation and that sort of thing, but I think a more co-ordinated approach [is needed].”

If men didn’t look after themselves, it was hard for them to be there for others.

“For us, as we grow, we’re going to be having children, grandchildren, mokopuna ... do we want to be around for them or not?”

The report writers called on the Government to invest in a “national Men’s Health Strategy”, which included the establishment of a Men’s Health Taskforce to guide policy, programmes, research and investment.

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the report provided “valuable insights into the challenges men faced and the stories behind the statistics”.

“I want to acknowledge and commend Movember for the work they do to raise awareness and drive important conversations about men’s health in New Zealand.”

He said the Government recognised men’s health issues were complex and influenced by a wide range of factors.

“To address this, we will be considering the report’s recommendations, including the proposal for a strategy for men’s health to ensure better health outcomes for men across New Zealand.

“We have introduced the first mental health and addiction targets in New Zealand to better identify areas of need and guide investment where it’s most needed.”

The targets meant the Government could look at regions such as Tairāwhiti to find out how quickly people accessed specialist and primary mental health support, he said.

If issues were identified, he expected regional executive directors would put a plan in place to address them.

Progress had been made in reducing stigma around men’s mental health, but men were still less likely to reach out for help and were overrepresented in suicide statistics, he said.

“This Government is committed to breaking down those barriers by making support easier to access. We’ve boosted funding for mental health, prioritised frontline services and strengthened early intervention and prevention so people get help when and where they need it.

“I’m incredibly focused on ensuring support is there when someone takes that first, often hardest, step.

“We are also investing record funding into general practice, expanding access to digital health services, and boosting Pharmac’s budget to fund more medicines, including for cancers that disproportionately affect men.”