Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Feb 23;18(4):2188.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18042188.

Alternative Friendships to Improve Men's Health Status. The Impact of the New Alternative Masculinities' Approach

Oriol Ríos-González  1 , Mimar Ramis-Salas  2 , Juan Carlos Peña-Axt  3 , Sandra Racionero-Plaza  2
Affiliations

Alternative Friendships to Improve Men's Health Status. The Impact of the New Alternative Masculinities' Approach

Oriol Ríos-González et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Men who develop behaviors connected with the model of hegemonic masculinity present several health problems. Previous research has shown the types of problems that men commonly suffer in this regard such as chronic diseases, dietary disorders, and traffic accidents. To combat and overcome this situation, several campaigns, policies and recommendations have been undertaken, and consequently, their influence has been analyzed. However, there have been few investigations into the role of men's friendship in the reduction of these physical health problems. The findings presented in this article are focused on this issue, illustrating the impact of male friendship on the shaping of healthy behaviors.

Methods: Drawing upon a qualitative-based methodology articulated in a case study of the Men in Dialogue association, located in Spain, the study has followed the premises of the communicative approach, a total of 15 structured online open-ended questionnaires have been performed and analyzed. The median age of the participants is 37.5 years.

Results: The findings show how men involved in Men in Dialogue are promoting a kind of masculine friendship that is improving men's emotional well-being and, consequently, their physical health.

Keywords: friendship; happiness; new alternative masculinities; self-confidence; solidarity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Schuh M.C., Sundar V., Hagner D.C. Friendship is the ocean: Importance of friendship, acceptance, and leadership in the transition to adulthood. Career Dev. Trans. Excep. Individ. 2015;38:152–161. doi: 10.1177/2165143414528031. - DOI
    1. Bank B.J., Hansford S.L. Gender and friendship: Why are men’s best same-sex friendships less intimate and supportive? Pers. Relationsh. 2000;7:63–78. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2000.tb00004.x. - DOI
    1. Iwamoto D.K., Smiler A.P. Alcohol Makes You Macho and Helps You Make Friends: The Role of Masculine Norms and Peer Pressure in Adolescent Boys’ and Girls’ Alcohol Use. Subst. Use Misuse. 2013;48:371–378. doi: 10.3109/10826084.2013.765479. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Flecha R. La Verdadera Amistad dura Para Siempre, Más Allà que la Propia Vida [The True Friendship Last the Whole Life, beyond Own People’s Life]. Innovamos. Revista de Divulgación Educativa 2018. [(accessed on 25 October 2020)]; Available online: http://revistainnovamos.com/2018/02/22/la-verdadera-amistad-dura-siempre...
    1. Gómez A. How friendship generates key research questions that help to overcome gender-based violence: A personal narrative. Qual. Inq. 2014;20:934–940.

LinkOut - more resources