[A pilot study on health issues, literacy, and presenteeism related to male menopause among working Japanese men]

Male menopause, or late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) syndrome, affects the physical and mental well-being of middle-aged and older men. In Japan, awareness remains low, leading to underdiagnosis and undertreatment. This study investigated health issues, literacy, and presenteeism related to male menopause among working Japanese men, considering differences in industry and occupation.

A survey was conducted among 3362 male employees aged ≥ 35 years at three companies in Tokyo representing different industries. The survey included questions on health status, aging male symptoms (AMS) scores, health literacy, workplace environment, and work impact. Presenteeism was evaluated using the single-item presenteeism question (SPQ), developed by the University of Tokyo. The survey was conducted anonymously on the company's internal server.

There were of valid respondents was 1,811. The respondents' demographics showed an even age distribution from 30s-60s and above. Job positions included 1.3% executives, 31.9% managers, and 53.1% staff-level employees. Awareness of "male menopause" was high (79.2%), but awareness of its specific symptoms was low (19.0%). Of the participants, 9.4% had severe AMS scores and 21.5% had moderate scores, indicating that one-quarter had moderate or higher symptoms. The most common impact on work was the inability to concentrate (58.8%). The average performance score of employees with mild or severe symptoms was 73.6%, suggesting that the prevalence of presenteeism owing to male menopausal symptoms was 26.4%. Additionally, 14.8% of the employees with symptoms reported a performance score of ≤ 50%.

This study highlights the reality of male menopause in a large corporation and suggests that male menopause symptoms may significantly affect presenteeism.