Men, masculinities and heart disease: A systematic review of the qualitative literature

Citation

Emslie C & Hunt K (2009) Men, masculinities and heart disease: A systematic review of the qualitative literature. Current Sociology, 57 (2), pp. 155-191. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392108099161

Abstract
The aim of this study was to synthesize qualitative data on men's experiences of coronary heart disease (CHD). The authors searched for qualitative papers published before January 2007 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, British Nursing Index, CINAHL, PsychINFO and Web of Knowledge and used thematic analysis to synthesize findings. They found 136 studies that collected data on men's experiences of CHD. Only 27 studies took a gendered approach and only two aimed to investigate men's gendered experiences of CHD. Many men drew on discourses associated with hegemonic masculinity (e.g. demonstrating stoicism through delaying seeking professional help) when talking about the implications of the disease for their identity, relationships and paid work. However, some accounts challenged this dominant discourse. The authors argue that a more nuanced understanding of hegemonic masculinity should take account of the production of gendered narratives in the interview context, given that men 'do' gender when they give the impression of 'not doing' health.

Keywords
coronary heart disease ; gender; masculinity ;qualitative research ; systematic review

Journal
Current Sociology: Volume 57, Issue 2

People

Professor Kate Hunt

Professor, Institute for Social Marketing