ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that why midlife is important in the context of men’s health equity. It argues that there is a critical but often missed opportunity to consider and addresses the unique determinants of the health of middle-aged men. The chapter provides an intersectional lens to highlight the diversity among men in this age group, moving beyond noting understudied phase of life matters in men’s health and towards articulating how and why. It demonstrates that, even among men who are middle-aged, there is great diversity by age, race, ethnicity, region of the country, and region of the world. The chapter also shows how complex it is to define phase of life and describes some of the leading causes of death among men in this phase of life in the United States and around the world. It discusses some of the literature that describes how men in this phase of life may think about health. The chapter suggests guiding work in the area, including considering how different generational cohorts define manhood, middle age, and health.
