Novel Men's Health Curriculum Increases Fraternity Members’ Knowledge, Confidence, and Willingness to Seek Help for Health Concerns

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate fraternity members’ men's health knowledge, confidence in understanding, and the likelihood of seeking help for men's health concerns and to assess the impact of a novel men's health curriculum on each of these measures. Methods: Members of 6 undergraduate fraternities (n = 189) viewed a 45-minute presentation about men's health topics and completed before and after surveys. Results: The presentation increased men's health knowledge, confidence in understanding men's health concerns and when/where to seek help, and the likelihood of seeking help for men's health concerns. Health knowledge did not correlate with confidence or likelihood of seeking help. Confidence positively correlated with the likelihood of seeking help before and after the presentation. Conclusion: A short presentation on common men's health topics increases health knowledge, confidence, and the likelihood of seeking help for these concerns. Increased confidence in understanding, rather than health knowledge, was associated with an increased willingness to seek help.