More than 350 men, some of whom will die on average six years younger than women now of comparable age, “went through the pits” in novel health checks at the recent Henty Field Days.

The analogy of getting rural blokes to think of car parts as a metaphor for their organs, functions and demeanour worked as well as last year but more defect notices were slapped on, too.

When the Riverina Division of General Practice & Primary Health ran its inaugural men’s health “Pitstop” at Henty in 2004, 320 men flagged themselves into pit lane and this year the total was up by 54.

“This time the Pitstop identified health concerns for a majority of the 374 men who came through,” says the program manager, Nicole Russell.

It was recommended to more than 42 per cent that they to motor back to their GP (that’s general practitioner, not grand prix) for attention to more than a few loose nuts and bolts.

One Pitstop station had alarming results, finding 55pc of the men were overweight and 30pc obese V8s and prime movers, well above the Australian average.

Health professionals talked with men about pertinent health issues and all results were checked by a general practitioner at the end.

Being overweight or obese is a serious risk factor for a number of chronic diseases. Rural men are affected to a higher degree by obesity, and back problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and ill mental health than Australian men generally.

“Men do not use health services as frequently,” says Nicole Russell. “They have higher hospitalisation rates, die at greater rates in all age groups, have greater levels of severe mental illness and are likely to suffer from chronic illness for 15 years of their lives.”

“In some cases men only see a GP when a problem won’t go away.

“Health services are used as a last resort or when their partner forces them to make an appointment.

”The Pitstop aims to encourage men to take notice of their own health and promotes prevention of long term chronic disease.”

It provides an opportunity to discuss with men, especially those under 50, how to prevent future chronic diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes.

“The Pitstop highlighted the need to further promote preventative health to men and encourage them to regularly see their GP to address these health issues.

“This advice especially applied to 30pc of men going through who had not visited a general practitioner in the last 12 months,” Nicole Russell said.

- RON AGGS

This story appears in Agriculture Today.