Most men would choose to do household chores rather than visit their physician's office for a check-up, according to a new survey from Cleveland Clinic.
For the survey, researchers polled a nationally representative group of 1,174 adult males between April 9 and April 11. The survey was part of Cleveland Clinic's fourth annual education campaign,"MENtion It," which seeks to address the barriers keeping men from acknowledging their health issues or engaging in preventive care.
Four survey findings:
- Seventy-two percent of men surveyed said they would rather do household chores than visit their physician.
- Half of men said that they consider their annual check-up a regular part of taking care of themselves.
- Sixty-one percent of men said they would be more likely to go to their annual check-up if it was more convenient.
- Even when men do visit their physician, 20 percent say they are not completely honest about their health. The top reason for withholding information from physicians was embarrassment (46 percent).
"It's time to get rid of the stigma that a man isn't allowed to show weakness by admitting something might be wrong — it could save his life," Eric Klein, MD, chairman of Cleveland Clinic's Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, said in a news release.