Designing men's health fairs: community-guided strategies

Men's premature mortality is largely driven by preventable health concerns. In turn, these preventable health concerns are propelled by perceived normative behaviors among men, such as engagement in unhealthy behaviors and reluctance to seek health services. There is evidence that health fairs designed specifically for men can promote health, yet no community-informed guidance on developing and implementing such health fairs exists.

This qualitative study uses the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to identify key factors that affect how a men's health fair is developed and implemented, and then develops implementation strategies to address those factors.

Participants included 13 individuals, who were predominately male, Black/African American, and had an average age of 48.59. A rapid qualitative analytic approach was used in two phases. First, two independent reviewers identified themes (i.e. determinants) in each transcript and then developed strategies based on the themes that had emerged.

A total of 18 community- and determinant-informed implementation strategies were identified.

An overarching theme across the strategies was that implementation strategies should be tailored to unique, normative behaviors among men. Developing and implementing a health fair specifically for men has the potential to promote the uptake of health services and reduce high rates of preventable adverse health outcomes among men.