IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jocnur/v24y2015i7-8p1069-1078.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The lived experience of men with advanced cancer in relation to their perceptions of masculinity: a qualitative phenomenological study

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah Stapleton
  • Natalie Pattison

Abstract

Aims and objectives The aim of this exploratory research was to understand how men experience their advanced cancer in relation to their perceptions of masculinity. Background There are differences in the way men and women experience illness and health care. There are inequalities in incidence and morbidities of many diseases as well as differences in rates of help‐seeking behaviours. Theories on masculinity offer some explanation towards this. Men's experiences of advanced cancer in relation to masculinity are under reported, published literature suggests that there are certain issues or men dealing with advanced disease that justify investigation. Design A Qualitative approach using a Husserlian Phenomenological design was conducted. Sample Eight men (aged 26–68) all with advanced cancer, defined as advanced or metastatic disease for which the patient had exhausted all standard therapeutic options. Methods In‐depth interviews were conducted to capture narratives of the experiences of men. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven stage framework. Results Themes included thwarted ambition, changing expectations, protection and provision, stoicism and coping, images of illness versus images of masculinity, importance of being a fighter and loss. Conclusion Findings showed that the experiences of these men were complex and should be handled sensitively. Ideas for gender‐specific interventions and further research were developed from the findings in relation to current literature. Relevance to clinical practice A better understanding and awareness of this in this context will help nurses to consider more subtle challenges that these patients may be dealing with that in turn could affect how they cope with the burden of cancer.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Stapleton & Natalie Pattison, 2015. "The lived experience of men with advanced cancer in relation to their perceptions of masculinity: a qualitative phenomenological study," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(7-8), pages 1069-1078, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:24:y:2015:i:7-8:p:1069-1078
    DOI: 10.1111/jocn.12713
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.12713
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jocn.12713?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. O'Brien, Rosaleen & Hunt, Kate & Hart, Graham, 2005. "'It's caveman stuff, but that is to a certain extent how guys still operate': men's accounts of masculinity and help seeking," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 503-516, August.
    2. Harrison, Judy & Maguire, Peter & Pitceathly, Carolyn, 1995. "Confiding in crisis: Gender differences in pattern of confiding among cancer patients," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 1255-1260, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ilyas Sagar-Ouriaghli & Emma Godfrey & Selina Graham & June S. L. Brown, 2020. "Improving Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviours for Male Students: A Framework for Developing a Complex Intervention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-34, July.
    2. Oliffe, John L. & Ogrodniczuk, John S. & Bottorff, Joan L. & Johnson, Joy L. & Hoyak, Kristy, 2012. "“You feel like you can’t live anymore”: Suicide from the perspectives of Canadian men who experience depression," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 506-514.
    3. Seale, Clive & Ziebland, Sue & Charteris-Black, Jonathan, 2006. "Gender, cancer experience and internet use: A comparative keyword analysis of interviews and online cancer support groups," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(10), pages 2577-2590, May.
    4. Bottorff, Joan L. & Oliffe, John L. & Halpin, Michael & Phillips, Melanie & McLean, Graham & Mroz, Lawrence, 2008. "Women and prostate cancer support groups: The gender connect?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(5), pages 1217-1227, March.
    5. Julie M. Turner-Cobb & Emily Arden-Close & Emma Portch & Liam Wignall, 2022. "Men and Women as Differential Social Barometers: Gender Effects of Perceived Friend Support on the Neuroticism-Loneliness-Well-Being Relationship in a Younger Adult Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-15, June.
    6. Ewert, Rebecca, 2021. "“A country boy can survive:” Rural culture and male-targeted suicide prevention messaging," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    7. Apesoa-Varano, Ester Carolina & Barker, Judith C. & Hinton, Ladson, 2015. "Shards of sorrow: Older men's accounts of their depression experience," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-8.
    8. Marta Gil‐Lacruz & Ana I. Gil‐Lacruz, 2010. "Health Perception and Health Care Access: Sex Differences in Behaviors and Attitudes," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(2), pages 783-801, April.
    9. Mac an Ghaill, Mairtin & Haywood, Chris, 2012. "Understanding boys’: Thinking through boys, masculinity and suicide," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 482-489.
    10. Oliffe, John L. & Broom, Alex & Rossnagel, Emma & Kelly, Mary T. & Affleck, William & Rice, Simon M., 2020. "Help-seeking prior to male suicide: Bereaved men perspectives," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    11. Esmée Hanna & Brendan Gough & Steven Markham, 2020. "Masculinities in the construction industry: A double‐edged sword for health and wellbeing?," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 632-646, July.
    12. Emslie, Carol & Hunt, Kate, 2008. "The weaker sex? Exploring lay understandings of gender differences in life expectancy: A qualitative study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 808-816, September.
    13. Natalie Galea & Abigail Powell & Fanny Salignac & Louise Chappell & Martin Loosemore, 2022. "When Following the Rules Is Bad for Wellbeing: The Effects of Gendered Rules in the Australian Construction Industry," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 36(1), pages 119-138, February.
    14. Emslie, Carol & Ridge, Damien & Ziebland, Sue & Hunt, Kate, 2006. "Men's accounts of depression: Reconstructing or resisting hegemonic masculinity?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(9), pages 2246-2257, May.
    15. MacLean, Alice & Hunt, Kate & Smith, Sarah & Wyke, Sally, 2017. "Does gender matter? An analysis of men's and women's accounts of responding to symptoms of lung cancer," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 134-142.
    16. Pooja Saini & Jennifer Chopra & Claire A. Hanlon & Jane E. Boland, 2021. "A Case Series Study of Help-Seeking among Younger and Older Men in Suicidal Crisis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-14, July.
    17. Backhans, Mona C. & Lundberg, Michael & Månsdotter, Anna, 2007. "Does increased gender equality lead to a convergence of health outcomes for men and women? A study of Swedish municipalities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(9), pages 1892-1903, May.
    18. Victoria Ross & Neil Caton & Jorgen Gullestrup & Kairi Kõlves, 2019. "Understanding the Barriers and Pathways to Male Help-Seeking and Help-Offering: A Mixed Methods Study of the Impact of the Mates in Construction Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-12, August.
    19. Green, Gill & Emslie, Carol & O'Neill, Dan & Hunt, Kate & Walker, Steven, 2010. "Exploring the ambiguities of masculinity in accounts of emotional distress in the military among young ex-servicemen," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(8), pages 1480-1488, October.
    20. Doyal, Lesley & Anderson, Jane & Paparini, Sara, 2009. "'You are not yourself': Exploring masculinities among heterosexual African men living with HIV in London," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(10), pages 1901-1907, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:24:y:2015:i:7-8:p:1069-1078. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2702 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.