Masculinities and Men’s Health Webinar Series Focus on Farmers

 Launch of Farmer Have Hearts Research Report

 

The launch will take place next week on the 6^th April of the Research Report on the Farmers Have Hearts (FHH) initiative. FHH is a cross sectoral partnership initiative with Teagasc, HSE Health and Wellbeing, the Department of Agriculture, the Irish Heart Foundation, Glanbia and the National Centre of Men’s Health in IT Carlow. As part of our Healthy Ireland Men Action Plan, we have supported this work and this research report will be launched by the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue with Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan. While this is a small in person event, you are invited to our upcoming webinar as part of this series Masculinities and Men’s Health Webinar Series on the 26^th April which will highlight the findings. See invite attached and you can register here: https://bit.ly/3wWX4v8

 

The Farmers Have Hearts initiative recruits farmers in marts and agricultural retail outlets and following a health check supports male farmers through a behaviour change journey with a coach and text support.  Since 2014, HSE Health and Wellbeing have supported the IHF to deliver on the Farmer Have Hearts Programme which has been operating at a national level reaching 1,000 farmers per year with a single health check intervention. This study extended the FHH Programme into a comprehensive Cardiovascular Health Programme and consists of (i) health checks at baseline (ii) a health behaviour change intervention (iii) health checks at 52-weeks. The study included a large sample (n= 868) of both male drystock and dairy farmers. The study used the Stages of Changes model over a 12-month period with a health check provided both at the start and at the end of this period.