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Tarkastelen artikkelissani miesten identiteettityötä ja affektiivis-diskursiivisia käytäntöjä puheessa, joka käsittelee työpaikoilla tapahtuvaa terveyden edistämistä. Analyysini kohteena on sosioekonomisesti moninainen 17 miehen haastatteluista koostuva aineisto. Analyysi osoittaa terveyden olevan miehille onnellisuusobjekti, jonka saavuttaminen ja ylläpitäminen asemoidaan välttämättömäksi ehdoksi hyvälle työelämälle. Miehet asemoivat itsensä oikeutetuksi työnantajan apuun. Samalla terveyttä edistävät toimet tunnistetaan valtasuhteiksi. Terveystietoisen ja yhteistyökykyisen terveyskansalaisuuden ohella haastateltavat tuottavat mieheyttä, jossa korostuvat työn autonomia ja vastustava suhde työnjohtoon. Epätarkoituksenmukaiseksi tai riittämättömäksi katsottuun terveyden edistämiseen suhtaudutaan vihamielisesti. Mieheys on osa myönteistä itseymmärrystä sekä terveyden edistämiseen mukautuvassa että sitä vastustavassa identiteettityössä.

Evidence on the relationship between psychosocial well-being and physical activity (PA) is insufficient, especially in young adults between 18 and 29 years. Identifying protective factors for psychosocial well-being as well as factors that may promote PA behaviour in this specific age group is crucial.The aim of the present study was to explore the association between self-reported leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and a number of measures of psychosocial well-being in a large sample of Finnish young men. The sample used for this study is based on registers of the Finnish Defence Forces and consist of questionnaire-based data collected from 159,776 young healthy men (18–29 years, mean age 19 years) who started their military service during the period from 2015 to 2021. Sum scores were calculated for self-esteem and prosocial behaviour. Physical activity, number of friends and the relationship with the parents were each measured with a single question. Unadjusted and adjusted (education, financial situation of the family, family structure) logistic regression models were calculated.A multinominal logistic regression analysis showed that a higher level of LTPA was associated with a higher level of both prosocial behaviour (OR 6.12, 95% CI 5.88–6.36) and self-esteem (OR 4.41 95% CI 4.28–4.54). Further, LTPA had a positive relationship with good social relations, both with peers and parents. The odds ratio for participation in any LTPA weekly was higher (OR 2.74; CI 2.27–3.20) among those who had a close and trustworthy relationship with their parents compared to those men with more challenging relationships with their parents (OR 1.77; CI 1.46–2.14). An inactive lifestyle (PA less than once a week) seemed to be most common among men with no friends. About one third (31%) of men with no friends reported to engage in LTPA less than once a week, while only 10% of men with very many good friends reported to engage in similarly inactive LTPA behaviour.LTPA seems to be positively associated with self-esteem, prosocial behaviour and good social relations among young adult men. Actions aimed at promoting LTPA may have a positive impact on psychosocial well-being among young men, or vice versa. The relationship between PA and psychosocial well-being is complex and interrelated.

Purpose: The present study examined the association of vitamin D measured by serum 25(OH)D with physical performance outcomes and serum levels of anabolic hormones in young men.Methods: 412 young men (age 19 ± 1 year) entering their compulsory military service volunteered to participate in the study. The study consisted of two groups from two different military bases: Group A was studied in January and group B in July. The groups were first compared with each other and due to statistically significant (p < 0.001 analyzed with independent samples t-test) differences in physical condition (sit-up, push-up, and standing long jump-tests and testosterone levels) between the groups, groups were analyzed separately. The serum levels of 25(OH)D, testosterone (TES), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were analyzed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Physical performance tests consisted of muscular fitness (sit-ups, push-ups, standing long jump) and aerobic fitness (12-minute-running) tests. The association of serum 25(OH)D with physical performance tests and anabolic hormones was analyzed using linear regression.Results: After controlling for the group, body mass index, and leisure-time physical activity, serum 25(OH)D level was positively associated with aerobic and muscular fitness (β = 0.15–0.20, all p < 0.05). Also, the participants with sufficient serum 25(OH)D levels (≥75 nmol/L) had better aerobic and muscular fitness and higher TES in group B, and better upper extremity muscular fitness in group A (all p < 0.05). In group A, there were 166 participants with serum levels of 25(OH) D < 75 nmol/L and 18 ≥ 75 nmol/L. In group B, the amounts were 92 (Conclusion: Serum 25(OH)D was positively associated with both aerobic and muscular fitness and those with sufficient vitamin D levels, had higher levels of TES. Thus, maintaining a sufficient serum 25(OH)D level may be beneficial for physical performance and anabolic state in young men.

Suurin osa suomalaisista miehistä suorittaa asevelvollisuutensa yhä tänään aseellisena palveluksena Puolustusvoimissa. Niin suuren ylisukupolvisesti jaetun kokemuksen merkitystä suomalaiselle mieheydelle, eli miehenä olemiselle ja miehisinä pidetyille ominaisuuksille, ei voi aliarvioida. Puolustusvoimat suomalaisen kansallisen asevelvollisuuden instituutiona on suomalaisen mieheyden rakentamisen keskiössä. Valtion instituutiona sillä on valtion hyväksyntä sille, millaista mieheyttä se rakentaa ja miten. Suorittamalla Suomessa asevelvollisuuden voidaan nähdä, että saa oikeuden kutsua itseään mieheksi. Aseistakieltäytyjien mieheyden kyseenalaistamista esiintyy Suomessa vähintäänkin vitsin varjolla, milloin sivarihomotteluna tai pelkuriksi ja petturiksi haukkumisena. Tässä tutkielmassa tutkin, millaista mieheyttä sotilasvirkamiehet rakensivat vakaumuksen esitutkinnassa, ja miten he sitä rakensivat. Vuonna 1986 aseistakieltäytyminen vaati vakaumuksen tutkintaa, jonka suoritti asevelvollisten tutkijalautakunta (ATL). Laissa sallitut syyt kieltäytyä aseista olivat uskonnolliset ja eettiset syyt. Lisäksi vakaumuksen tuli olla kahden todistajan omalla allekirjoituksellaan oikeaksi todistama. Asevelvollisen kieltäydyttyä aseista sotilasvirkamies suoritti vakaumuksen esitutkinnan, jonka perusteella sotilasvirkamies ehdotti asevelvollisen palvelusmuodoksi joko aseellista, aseetonta tai siviilipalvelusta ATL:lle. Lopullisen päätöksen palvelusmuodosta teki ATL joko kuulemalla tai kuulematta asevelvollista. Vuosi 1986 oli viimeinen vakaumuksen tutkintavuosi, jonka jälkeen laki muuttui ja vakaumuksen tutkinnasta luovuttiin. Viimeisen vuoden tutkiminen onkin vakaumuksen tutkinnan perinnön tutkimista. Lisäksi vuonna 1986 kylmä sota lähestyi loppuaan, minkä vuoksi kyseisen vuoden tutkiminen on myös kylmän sodan lopun Suomen tutkimista. Tutkimuksella pyrin valaisemaan kulttuuri-, aate- ja sukupuolihistoriallista taustaa, jota vasten suomalaiset aseistakieltäytyjät ovat sekä aiemmin että tänään oman palvelusmuotoratkaisunsa tehneet. Tutkielmani päälähdeaineisto oli Kansallisarkistossa sijaitsevan ATL:n arkiston ilmoitusasiakirjat vuodelta 1986, joita oli 1600 kappaletta. Näistä tutkin ainoastaan eettisistä syistä aseista kieltäytyneitä, koska ne heijastelevat paremmin tämän päivän aseistakieltäytyjien syitä kuin uskonnolliset syyt. Osa ilmoitusasiakirjoissa esiintyvistä sotilasvirkamiesten kirjauksista olivat vuosilta 1984 ja 1985. Tutkin asiakirjoja diskurssianalyysin keinoin kiinnittäen huomiota, millaista kieltä sotilasvirkamiehet käyttivät aseistakieltäytyjistä. Lisäksi tarkastelin, miten aseistakieltäytyjät itse perustelivat vakaumustaan. Diskurssianalyysi perustuu kielifilosofialle, ettei käyttämämme kieli ainoastaan esitä todellisuutta, vaan myös luo sitä. Hegemoninen maskuliinisuus tarkoittaa tietyssä ajassa ja paikassa hallitsevassa asemassa olevaa mieheyttä, joka alistaa, taivuttelee ja suostuttelee muita mieheyksiä kaltaisikseen tai ainakin sitä tukeviksi. Lisäksi se tarkoittaa eri mieheyksien kamppailua ihailluimman mieheyden eli miesideaalin hegemonisesta asemasta. Asevelvollisuus on osa suomalaista hegemonista maskuliinisuutta. Kylmän sodan lopun vakaumuksen tutkinnassa kohtasi sotilasvirkamiehen hegemoninen maskuliinisuus ja hegemonian vastaiseen toimintaan kieltäytymisellään käynyt aseistakieltäytyjä. Vuoden 1986 vakaumuksen tutkinnassa sotilasvirkamiehet pelkän vakaumuksen selvittämisen sijaan liittivät kirjauksissaan aseistakieltäytyjiin naisellisiksi katsottuja piirteitä puuttumalla muun muassa heidän ulkonäköönsä. Osaa naisellisiksi katsomistaan kieltäytyjistä sotilasvirkamiehet ehdottivat aseelliseen palvelukseen kasvamaan miehiksi, ja osan he sulkivat ulos varuskunnista vahvistaen diskurssia armeijasta miesten, ja vain miesten, kouluna. Tämä osoitti yksittäisen sotilasvirkamiehen merkityksen vakaumuksen tutkinnassa. Lisäksi sotilasvirkamiehet pitivät aseistakieltäytyjiä vaarallisina miehinä YYA-sopimuksen ja Suomen kylmän sodan turvallisuuspolitiikan takia. Koska aseistakieltäytyjät kävivät kieltäytymisellään Puolustusvoimien mieskuvaa vastaan, oli heidän vähempi maskuliinisuutensa osin itse tuotettua.

In this article, the focus is on a theoretical discussion about how to analyse masculinities and power in historical research based on imagery and visual sources from a material-discursive point of departure. The argument is that analysing photographs in sport and the material-discursive representation of men/masculinities could contribute to a broader understanding of men’s hegemony. The article adds to the field of visual literacy and connects research on visual materials, sports history and critical gender studies. The past of Swedish ice hockey constitutes the case, while the understanding of men/masculinities departs from research by Jeff Hearn, Raewyn Connell and other scholars within the critical studies on men and masculinities field. Using four specific photographs from the Swedish magazine Hockey, the analysis exemplifies how their materiality and discursivity relate to a broader cultural context of the hegemony of men and masculinities. For example, cultural dominance strategies, visual techniques that ‘activate’ a photographed (or objectified) male subject and entitlement are discussed, and how these include discursive and material meanings of masculinity, status, and domination and how such embodiments interconnect with a contextual configuration of the dominant hegemony of men. peerReviewed

BackgroundThere is limited evidence of how physical activity (PA) associates with low back pain (LBP) and neck pain (NP). Particularly, the association between occupational or commuting PA and LBP/NP is unclear. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between spinal disorders and different physical activity domains in young and healthy adult men.MethodsSelf-reported leisure time, occupational and commuting PA, as well as LBP and NP, were studied using questionnaires among young Finnish males (n = 1,630). Logistic regression analysis was used to study the associations of PA domains, physical fitness, and spinal disorders. Regression models were adjusted for age, education, smoking, waist circumference, and the other PA domains.ResultsThere was a positive association between moderate leisure-time PA and both LBP (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.18–1.95) and NP (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.00–1.66) compared to low PA. Furthermore, moderate (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.00–1.71) and high (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.15–2.02) leisure time PA groups had a higher likelihood of lumbago. Moderate (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.51–0.90) and high (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.48–0.95) occupational PA groups had lower likelihood for radiating LBP, while high occupational PA (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.52–0.99) had lower likelihood for lumbago.ConclusionsThe associations between physical activity and LBP or NP seem to vary between different domains of physical activity among young healthy men. Commuting and occupation-related PA appear not to be harmfully associated with LPB or NP, whereas moderate-level leisure time PA may be associated with increased LBP and NP, and the respective high level may be associated with an increase in the prevalence of lumbago.

Artikkelissa tarkastellaan, miten perheenjäsenet reagoivat, kun poikaa syytettiin esiaviollisesta suhteesta 1600-luvun Ruotsissa. Tutkitut tapaukset osoittavat, että poikien, äitien ja isien toimijuus määrittyi sukupuolen, iän ja sen suhteen, mikä heidän asemansa oli perheessä. Lisäksi heidän toimijuuteensa vaikutti sääty ja perheen asema säädyn sisällä. Poikien toimijuus ja argumentointi tuomioistuimessa rakentuivat patriarkaaliselle kuuliaisuudelle vanhempia ja Jumalaa kohtaan. Nuoruus elämänvaiheena loi näiden miesten toimijuudelle raamit, jota he hyödynsivät parhaalla mahdollisella tavalla. Vanhempien toiminta poikien esiaviollisten suhteiden selvittämisessä oli kytköksissä sekä sukupuoleen että säätyyn. Papistoon ja ylempään porvaristoon kuuluneet naiset toimivat aktiivisesti tuomioistuimen ulkopuolella ja heidän miehensä ottivat asian hoitoonsa, kun se siirtyi oikeuteen. Miehille oli tyypillistä toimia tuomioistuimissa patriarkaalisen hierarkian edellyttämällä tavalla. Samaan aikaan alemman porvariston naiset toimivat aktiivisesti sekä tuomioistuimissa että niiden ulkopuolella. Meidän tulisikin analysoida uuden ajan alun toimijuutta intersektionaalisesti ja ottaa huomioon henkilön ikä, aviosääty, asema kotitaloudessa sekä sääty ja asema säädyn sisällä., In this article, I study how family members in seventeenth-century Sweden responded when a son had committed a crime of indecency. The studied cases show that the agency of sons, mothers and fathers depended on their gender, their age and their position within a family but also on their estate and position within the estate. The agency and argumentation of sons was built on the patriarchal understanding of obedience to their elders, to God and to parents. Youth as a phase of life created the framework for the agency of these men, which they made use of the best way they could. The actions of parents concerning their sons’ premarital affairs were conditional to both gender and to their estate. Wives of clergy and higher bourgeoisie operated actively outside the legal courts, when the matter was brought to the court of law, their husbands took charge in dealing with the issue. It was typical in the actions of men to comply with the patriarchal hierarchy and to operate within its limits. At the same time, the women of the lower bourgeoisie operated actively in both the legal court and outside it too. Thus, we should analyse family dynamics and the agencies of different family members intersectionally by considering person’s age, marital status, position in a household, and estate.

Background Associations between retirement characteristics and consequent physical functioning (PF) are poorly understood, particularly in higher socioeconomic groups, where postponing retirement has had both positive and negative implications for PF. Methods Multiple assessments of PF, the first of which at the mean age of 73.3 years, were performed on 1709 men who were retired business executives and managers, using the RAND-36/SF-36 instrument, between 2000 and 2010. Questionnaire data on retirement age and type of pension was gathered in 2000. Five distinct PF trajectories were created using latent growth mixture modelling. Mortality- and covariate-adjusted multinomial regression models were used to estimate multinomial Odds Ratios (mOR) on the association between retirement characteristics and PF trajectories. Results A one-year increase in retirement age was associated with decreased likelihood of being classified in the ‘consistently low’ (fully adjusted mOR = 0.82; 95%CI = 0.70, 0.97; P = 0.007), ‘intermediate and declining’ (mOR = 0.89; 95%CI = 0.83, 0.96; P = 0.002), and ‘high and declining’ (mOR = 0.92; 95%CI = 0.87, 0.98; P = 0.006) trajectories, relative to the ‘intact’ PF trajectory. Compared to old age pensioners, disability pensioners were more likely to be classified in the ‘consistently low’ (mOR = 23.77; 95% CI 2.13, 265.04; P = 0.010), ‘intermediate and declining’ (mOR = 8.24; 95%CI = 2.58, 26.35; P P = 0.020) PF trajectories, relative to the ‘intact’ PF trajectory. Conclusions Among executives and managers, older age at retirement was associated with better trajectories of PF in old age. Compared to old age pensioners, those transitioning into disability and early old age pensions were at risk of having consistently lower PF in old age.

Healthy lifestyle behaviors including physical activity (PA) have been recognized to contribute positively to mental health. Most of the evidence on relationship between PA and mental health relies on self-reported PA results. Device-based measures on PA or sedentary behavior (SB) are less frequently used in mental health research. The present study aimed at examining the relationship between mental health and PA/SB measured by accelerometers in young Finnish men. The sample consisted of 409 men (mean age 28 ± 7 years), who participated in the military refresher training in Finland. Self-rated mental health was measured with Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) and short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS) measuring mental health both from the perspective of mental health problems and mental well-being. PA was measured with accelerometer from the perspective of light, moderate, vigorous, and total activity, as well as SB. Linear regression models and compositional analysis were applied. Age, education, marital status, employment status, BMI, alcohol use and smoking were used as covariates. Evidence on relationship between total PA (standardized regression coefficient 0.340; 95% CI 0.022–0.657, p = 0.036) and SB (standardized regression coefficient −0.340; 95% CI −0.657 to −0.022, p = 0.036) with symptoms of mental health problems was found after adjusting for age, education, marital and employment status. The relationship was marginally significant (p = 0.056) after adjusting also for BMI, alcohol use and smoking. No evidence on relationship between PA or SB and mental well-being was found, neither in standard linear regression analysis nor in compositional approach. In our sample of young adult men, PA seemed to have a stronger relationship with symptoms of mental health problems rather than with mental well-being. The findings lead to a conclusion that all PA per se may not be independently associated with mental well-being in young adult males and raise the question whether the domain of PA and its context play a critical role in these relationships.

We introduce in this chapter discourse analysis as a methodological tool for studying work-family issues, particularly those of men and fathers in work and care. Work and family involve complex processes and dynamics, where reconciling different interpretations of events are temporally and contextually changing. Current discourses on involved fatherhood raise many questions about men's work and family relationships and the role of care in their life. Here we present two empirical examples using discourse analysis to study work-family issues from a male gender perspective in the Finnish context. Finally, we discuss the (dis)advantages of using discursive analytical perspectives in work-family research.

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Maintenance of vigorous exercise habits from young to old age is considered protective against hip fractures, but data on fracture risk in lifelong vigorous exercisers are lacking. This longitudinal cohort study examined the hazard of hip fractures in 1844 male former athletes and 1216 population controls and in relation to exercise volume and intensity in later years. Incident hip fractures after age 50 years were identified from hospital discharge register from 1972 to 2015. Exercise and covariate information was obtained from questionnaires administered in 1985, 1995, 2001, and 2008. Analyses were conducted using extended proportional hazards regression model for time-dependent exposures and effects. During the mean ± SD follow-up of 21.6 ± 10.3 years, 62 (3.4%) athletes and 38 (3.1%) controls sustained a hip fracture. Adjusted hazard ratio (HR) indicated no statistically significant difference between athletes and controls (0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55-1.29). In subgroup analyses, adjusted HRs for athletes with recent high (≥15 metabolic equivalent hours [MET-h]/week) and low (15 MET-h/week) exercise volume were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.46-1.48) and 1.04 (95% CI, 0.57-1.87), respectively, compared with controls. The adjusted HR was not statistically significant between athletes with low-intensity exercise (6 METs) and controls (1.08; 95% CI, 0.62-1.85). Athletes engaging in vigorous-intensity exercise (≥6 METs at least 75 minutes/week) had initially 77% lower hazard rate (adjusted HR 0.23; 95% CI, 0.06-0.86) than controls. However, the HR was time-dependent (adjusted HR 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07); by age 75 years the HRs for the athletes with vigorous-intensity exercise reached the level of the controls, but after 85 years the HRs for these athletes increased approximately 1.3-fold annually relative to the controls. In conclusion, these data suggest that continuation of vigorous-intensity exercise is associated with lower HR of hip fracture up to old age. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Recent studies on boys and young men’s heterosexual practices point in contradictory directions. On the one hand, boys and young men seem to be placing less value on “hard”, overtly aggressive masculinity and compulsive heterosexuality, in keeping with their adoption of more egalitarian attitudes in their sexual relationships. On the other hand, the hegemonic masculine notions that associate “real” men with sexual prowess persist as well. In this article, we argue that this contradiction indicates careful (re)calibration in doing respectable heteromasculinities. We draw on a small-scale qualitative study located in Helsinki, Finland, in illuminating how cis-gendered boys and young men with less privileged backgrounds construct their heteromasculinities as respectable, which requires context-specific balancing between distancing themselves from and embracing hegemonic notions of manhood. Through this balancing, the boys and young men reconfigure not necessary the substance but the style of respectable heteromasculinity; therefore contributing to sustaining masculine hegemony by attuning it according to the claims of the “#MeToo era”.

Ronald F. Levant & Shana Pryor: The Tough Standard. The Hard Truths About Masculinity and Violence. New York: Oxford University Press, 2020, 199 s. ISBN 978-0-19-007587-3

Scientific examination of velocity-based resistance training (VBRT) has increased recently, but how males and females respond to different VBRT protocols or how these acute responses are modified after a period of training is unknown. Habitually resistance-trained males and females followed either a 20 or 40% velocity-loss programme for 8 weeks. Acute squat loading tests (five sets, 70% one-repetition maximum load, 3 min rest) were performed before and after the training period. Tests of maximum neuromuscular performance and blood sampling were conducted before, within 10 min of completion (POST) and 24 h after each acute loading test. Testing included countermovement jump, resting femoral nerve electrical stimulation and bilateral isometric leg press. Blood samples were analysed for whole-blood lactate, serum testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone and creatine kinase concentrations. Countermovement jump height, maximum isometric bilateral leg-press force and the force from a 10 Hz doublet decreased in all groups at POST after 20 and 40% velocity loss. Only males showed reduced force from the 100 Hz doublet and voluntary force over 100 ms at POST before training. The 40% velocity loss led to increased blood lactate and growth hormone responses before training in both males and females. After training, more systematic and equivalent responses in force over 100 ms, force from a 100 Hz doublet and blood lactate were observed regardless of sex/VBRT protocol. Overall, acute responses were greater from 40% VBRT, and males were more susceptible to acute loss in force production capacity before the training period. These VBRT protocol- and sex-related differences were diminished after training.

nonPeerReviewed

Background Little is known about exercise cardiac power (ECP), defined as the ratio of directly measured maximal oxygen uptake with peak systolic blood pressure during exercise on heart failure (HF) risk. We examined the association of ECP and the risk of HF. Methods This was a population-based cohort study of 2351 men from eastern Finland. The average time to follow-up was 25 years. Participants participated at baseline in an exercise stress test. A total of 313 cases of HF occurred. Results Men with low ECP (13.92 mL/mmHg, highest quartile), after adjusting for age. Low ECP was associated with a 1.96-fold risk (95%CI: 1.38 − 2.78, p < 0.001) of HF after additional adjustment for conventional risk factors. After further adjustment for left ventricular hypertrophy, the results hardly changed (hazards ratio = 1.87, 95%CI: 1.31 − 2.66, p < 0.001). One SD increase in ECP (3.16 mL/mmHg) was associated with a decreased risk of HF by 28% (95%CI: 17% − 37%). Conclusion ECP provides a non-invasive and easily available measure from cardiopulmonary exercise test in predicting HF. However, ECP did not provide additional value over maximal oxygen uptake. peerReviewed

Urheilukentälle päässeet keski-ikäiset miehet kilpailevat ja kuittailevat. Ja nauttivat yhdessäolosta. nonPeerReviewed

This study aimed to determine the effect of 16 minutes of thermal stress followed by 2 minutes of cold water immersion on the physiological parameters of fifty-five sedentary men (mean age 20.15±1.30 years), who were exposed to 16 minutes of sauna (temperature: 90-91℃; relative humidity: 14-16%) followed by 2 minutes of cold water immersion (12℃). The participants' somatic characteristics were determined before entering the sauna, and their body mass and blood pressure were measured before and after sauna treatment. Physiological parameters were monitored during the 16-minute sauna session and the 2-minute cold water immersion (CRIO) or shower. The subjects perspired 0.21-0.27 litres during the 18-minute session. Heart rate values did not differ significantly between groups during the 16-minute sauna session, but significantly (p

Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between agility and personal factors, muscle strength and power, mobility, self-reported balance and physical activity among older men. Methods: Agility was measured by using the Agility Test for Adults (ATA). We studied 100 Finnish male former elite athletes (endurance n = 50; power n = 50) and 50 matched controls aged 66 to 91 years (mean age 75.5 years). The associations between agility and other variables were similar between three groups; thus, multiple linear regression analyses were done by using the pooled data of the participants. Results: On the basis of multiple linear regression analyses, combination of age (p = .02), self-reported Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC scale), jumping height (p = .001) and self-rated health explained 26% of the variance in execution time of ATA (R-2 = 0.26; p = .000002) among elderly men. Conclusion: Power of lower extremities and age were the main determinants of the results of ATA in a cohort of men aged 66-91 years. From a clinical point of view, power of lower extremities measured by test demanding explosive power plays an important role to maintain or enhance capacity of agility.

The aim of the study was to examine whether sports participation (SP), engagement in competitive sports (CS) and the type of sport undertaken at the age of 12 are associated with the physical and the mental components of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in young adulthood. The data were collected using questionnaires prior to a compulsory military refresher training course in Finland. The sample consisted of 784 men (mean age 26 years). HRQoL was measured with RAND 36 and childhood sports participation with a series of questions. Data were analysed with logistic regression. Higher frequency of SP, participation in district level CS, performing team, endurance or extreme sports and playing yard games in childhood were after adjustments all associated with better HRQoL in early adulthood. The association was mainly found with the mental, and to a lesser extend with the physical component of HRQoL. Team (OR 1.43, CI 1.00-2.06) and extreme sports (OR 1.77, CI 1.19-2.63) were associated with better mental HRQoL, while playing yard games (OR 0.62, CI 0.44-0.89) reduced the likelihood for having low physical HRQoL. Sports participation in childhood – in the forms of team or individual sports, but also as informal physical activity, such as playing yard games – is associated with HRQoL in young adulthood.

Progressive resistance training (PRT) combined with weight-bearing impact exercise are recommended to optimize bone health, but the optimal frequency and dose of training remains uncertain. This study, which is a secondary analysis of an 18-month intervention in men aged 50–79 years, examined the association between exercise frequency and the volume of training with changes in DXA and QCT-derived femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) bone outcomes, respectively. Men were allocated to either thrice-weekly PRT plus impact exercise training (n = 87) or a non-exercising (n = 85) group. Average weekly exercise frequency (ExFreq) and training volume per session [PRT volume (weight lifted, kg), number of weight-bearing impacts (jumps completed) and total training volume] over the 18-months were calculated from the participants' exercise cards. Regression analysis showed that average weekly ExFreq and training volume per session were positively associated with the 18-month changes in FN BMD and LS trabecular volumetric BMD. Men completing on average 1 to

Tutkin tässä pro gradu -tutkielmassa miesten tahattoman lapsettomuuden kokemusta. Lääketieteellisesti tahaton lapsettomuus määritellään, kun lasta on yritetty suunnitellusti yli vuoden ajan siinä kuitenkaan onnistumatta. Lapsettomuus voidaan jakaa primaariseen ja sekundaariseen lapsettomuuteen. Primaarissa lapsettomuudessa raskaus ei ole koskaan alkanut. Sekundaarisessa lapsettomuudessa uusi raskaus ei ala. Tarkastelen, miten tahaton lapsettomuus muokkaa tahattomasti lapsettomien miesten arkikokemuksia sekä selvitän, miten tahattomasti lapsettomat miehet näkevät vertaistuen. Tahaton lapsettomuus on ongelma, jonka seuraukset ovat moniulotteiset. Tutkimukseni teoreettinen viitekehys perustuu miesten tahattoman lapsettomuuden tutkimukseen, mies-, maskuliinisuus- ja isyystutkimukseen sekä vertaistuen tutkimukseen tahattoman lapsettomuuden kokemuksessa. Tutkimusaineistona on yhdeksän tahatonta lapsettomuutta kohdanneen miehen puolistrukturoitua haastattelua? Tutkimusmenetelmänä on fenomenologinen kokemuksen tutkimus, jota jatkan analysoiden sisällönanalyysin avulla jäsentäen kokemusryppäät havainnoiksi, keskeisiksi kiteytyksiksi ja lopulta pääteemoiksi eli kokemuskokonaisuuksiksi. Kokemuskokonaisuuksia muodostui kaikkiaan kuusi, joista ensimmäiset neljä jäsentävät miehen tahattomasta lapsettomuudesta kumpuavia ilmiöitä ja kaksi kokemuskokonaisuutta selittävät, miten miehet kokevat vertaistuen tahattomaan lapsettomuuteen. Tahaton lapsettomuus saa aikaan surua ja murtuneisuutta, jolla tarkoitan pysyvää sosiaalista elintilaa rajoittavaa tilaa. Tahaton lapsettomuus saa aikaan hyvinkin erilaisissa sosiaalisissa konteksteissa puuttumista intiimeihin asioihin. Se aiheuttaa ahdistusta, vieraantumista ja ulkopuolisuuden kokemuksia ja on omiaan korostamaan oman intimiteetin suojaamista. Tahaton lapsettomuus on edelleen tabu, mikä aiheuttaa vaikenemista. Arki, puolison tuki, yleinen tietämys ilmiön yleisyydestä ja vertaistuki ovat keinoja selvitä kokemuksesta. Julkisen ja yksityisen sairaanhoidon välillä miehet kokevat merkittäviä eroja saamassaan kohtelussa. Haastateltavat olivat osallistuneet vertaistukeen, mutta se aiheutti myös epäilyjä. Kaikkiaan miehet toivovat omia vertaistukiryhmiä, joissa toimintamuodot olisivat miehille sopivia. Perinteisesti miehet on nähty arjessa toimijoina, ei niinkään tunnekokemusten sanoittajina. Sosiaalipoliittisesti työelämän sääntöjen uudistus ja yhtenevät käytänteet, jotka huomioivat tahattoman lapsettomuuden, olisivat omiaan auttamaan miehiä kokemuksessa. Julkisen sektorin tahattoman lapsettomuuden hoitoa tulisi kehittää asiakaslähtöiseksi palveluksi, jossa huomioidaan miesten henkisen jaksamisen tukeminen. Miehille tulisi tarjota omia vertaistukiryhmiä, joiden toiminnassa huomioitaisiin yksinomaan miehet ja heistä lähtevät vertaistukitarpeet.

Purpose To examine the relationship between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and ability to meet different work requirements among adult working men with or without current depressive symptoms. Methods We measured LTPA with the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The Work Ability Index (WAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess the work ability and depression of 921 Finnish employed male volunteers. Participants were divided into three groups according to the WAI for their work requirements: mental (MENT), physical (PHYS), and an equal amount of mental and physical work (BTH). Results When adjusted for age, BMI and employment years, there was a significant difference in weekly LTPA between WAI groups {p = 0.003, [F (2902) = 5.58]}, but not for depression. It appeared that participants with depressive symptoms scored lower WAI in each group regardless of LTPA. In addition, a linear relationship was found between higher LTPA and WAI in nondepressed workers in the PHYS [p = 0.011, β = 0.10 (95% CI 0.03–0.18)] and BTH [p = 0.027, β = 0.19 (95% CI 0.03–0.34)] groups. Among workers with depressive symptoms, similar linearity was found in BTH [p = 0.003, β = 0.20 (95% CI 0.03–0.55)]. In group-wise comparison, work requirements {p = 0.001, [F (2902) = 11.2]} and depressive symptoms {p Conclusion Depressive symptoms were associated with lower work ability regardless of the job description. Therefore, higher levels of weekly LTPA was linked with better work ability among nondepressed working men. Workers with depressive symptoms in jobs that require extensive mental or physical work might need more than exercise to improve work ability.

Background Strong associations have been demonstrated between the American Heart Association’s cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and various cardiovascular outcomes, but the association with sudden cardiac death (SCD) is uncertain. We examined the associations between these CVH metrics and the risks of SCD and all-cause mortality among men in Finland. Methods and results We used the prospective population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease cohort study, which consists of men between 42 and 60 years of age at baseline. CVH metrics were computed for 2577 men with CVH scores at baseline ranging from 0 to 7, categorized into CVH scores of 0–2 (poor), 3–4 (intermediate) and 5–7 (ideal). Multivariate Cox regression models were used to estimate the hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of ideal CVH metrics for SCD and all-cause mortality. During a median follow-up period of 25.8 years, 280 SCDs and 1289 all-cause mortality events were recorded. The risks of SCD and all-cause mortality decreased continuously with increasing number of CVH metrics across the range 2–7 (p value for non-linearity for all

The article focuses on masculine consumption patterns and the production and dyeing of textiles in rural Finland in the early nineteenth century. It maintains that the rural consumption of textiles as well as individual choices and tastes evolved, and our selected examples of males’ wardrobes demonstrate that contemporary styles were followed. The article targets an era that can be regarded as a watershed: this was a time when mass production was in its infancy and craft production and self-sufficiency were still relevant to household economies. As the wealth of certain groups, particularly landed peasantry, increased, they began among other things to purchase and wear clothes dyed with imported dyes such as indigo. The presence of blue garments in the wardrobes of the common people testifies to a change that took place in rural Finland. This change is evident especially in our analysis of probate inventories of the male inhabitants. Variety of documents on artisanship, the textile and dyeing industry and the import of indigo dye to Finland provide further evidence. The research thus contributes to the discussion on changing consumption patterns among the rural inhabitants in a country that is usually seen as one to which industrialisation came late. peerReviewed

Kandidaatintutkielmani on kirjallisuuskatsaus, jonka tavoitteena on selvittää aiemman tutkimustiedon perusteella miesten kokemaa väkivaltaa ja miehille kohdistettuja auttamiskäytäntöjä. Tutkielman tutkimusaineisto koostuu 12 lähteestä. Lähdeaineisto muodostuu yhdeksästä tieteellisestä artikkelista, joista seitsemän on kansainvälisiä, yhdestä kansallisesta uhrihaastattelututkimuksesta, kahdesta väitöskirjasta ja yhdestä miespainotteisesta tutkimusraportista. Kirjallisuuskatsauksen tuloksiin perustuen voidaan nähdä miesten kokevan vahingoittavaa väkivaltaa. Väkivalta on ilmiönä piiloon asettuvaa. Väkivalta vaikuttaa uhrin hyvinvointiin ja sosiaalisiin suhteisiin vahingoittavasti. Väkivallan miesuhri ei halua tehdä tapahtunutta näkyväksi, kuitenkin tutkielmassa on nähtävissä miesuhriella olevan tuen, avun ja neuvonnan tarpeita. Stereotyyppiset käsitykset ja yhteiskunnallisesti asetetut roolit synnyttävät miehelle avun hakemisen haasteita. Tämä tutkielma vahvistaa käsitystä siitä, että miehet kokevat väkivaltaa ja väkivalta on haitallista miesuhreille. Miehillä on useita haasteita avun hakemisessa ja avun vastaanottamisessa. Miehiin kohdistuvan väkivaltailmiön tietoisuuden lisääminen sekä toimijoiden yhteistyön ja osaamisen kehittäminen on tärkeää. Miehelle tarjottavaa auttamiskäytännöt on selkeämmin tuotava esiin sekä auttamiskulttuuria kehitettävä mieserityisyys huomioiden.

This study investigates the persistence of gendered choice and use of media, particularly in Japanese domestic settings. It shows how women’s significant presence in the digital media environment does not necessarily translate into substantial changes in gendered power dynamics in choosing and using particular media for certain purposes at home. This project’s authors, researchers from Argentina, Finland, Israel, Japan, and the US, analyzed interview data from Japan by drawing on the Foucauldian concept of micro-level power, which is categorized into three main types: personal authority, media affordances, and space-time constellations. Through this process, we interviewed 77 individuals, revealing that persistent gendered media choices and use exist in Japan. The project team also looked for similar cases in other countries for further theoretical implications. As a result of this investigation, we argue that the patriarchy continues to influence women’s choice and use of media at home even in this media-saturated digital age. Our interview data show that “old media” such as radio, television, newspaper, and magazines not only mediate information and entertainment contents at home, but also structure people’s quotidian use of media, both old and new, and sustains existing gendered assumptions and values. peerReviewed

In the past decade, the popularization of social media in Pakistan has greatly influenced the way in which people communicate and interact with each other. The rapidly evolving nature of online social media communication in the country when viewed against the backdrop of the country’s socio-cultural characteristics and religion is particularly significant. Facebook, being the prime social media platform in Pakistan has been revolutionary and liberating because while acting as a medium of communication, which transgresses the traditional manner of gendered social interactions, it has at the same time enabled the users to perpetuate and reinforce the existing gender ideology. As a result, Facebook in Pakistan has evolved into a space where individuals construct gender identities discursively. Using Multimodal Discourse Analysis, I investigate the ways in which Pakistani men multimodally construct their gender identities on Facebook. I show how Pakistani men are not only upholding the existing socio-cultural norms and discourse but also there are subtle signs of digression from the established models of masculinity. peerReviewed

nonPeerReviewed

Background Both blood pressure and C-reactive protein (CRP) are each independently related to mortality risk. However, the combined effect of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and CRP on sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk has not been studied. Patients and methods We studied the joint impact of SBP and CRP and the risk of SCD in the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease prospective cohort study of 1953 men aged 42–61 years with no history of ischemic heart disease. Baseline investigations were conducted between March 1984 and December 1989. SBP and CRP were measured. SBP was divided based on median values to low and high (median cutoffs 132 mmHg) and CRP as low and high (median cut-off 1.30 mg/L). Hazard ratios (HRs) with confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated after multivariate adjustment. Results Subjects were followed-up for 23.2 years, and 137 SCDs occurred. In this study, elevated SBP (>132 mmHg) combined with elevated (CRP >1.30 mg/L) were associated with SCD risk. Adjustment for age, examination year, alcohol consumption, BMI, energy expenditure during exercise, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, smoking, antihypertension medication and aspirin use, the risk of SCD remained statistically significant (HR, 2,73, 95% CI, 1.62–4.60, p

Background Despite numerous studies providing evidence for positive effects of physical activity and physical fitness, evidence for association between physical fitness and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in young adults is limited. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate the association of cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness with HRQoL from the perspective of its physical and mental components among young adult Finnish males. Methods The sample consisted of 754 men, with the mean age of 26 years (SD 6.7 years), who participated in the military refresher training. HRQoL was measured using the Finnish RAND 36-item health survey. Cardiorespiratory fitness was determined by a bicycle ergometer test, and muscular fitness by various tests measuring maximal strength and muscular endurance. Logistic regression modelling was used to compare low, moderate and high physical and mental component of HRQoL scores to the respective levels of muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness. Results The findings of the adjusted (age, educational level, marital status, employment status, smoking, use of alcohol and BMI) analysis showed that cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness are positively associated with both physical and mental components of HRQoL. In terms of the physical component of HRQoL, even a moderate fitness level was positively associated with better HRQoL. In terms of the mental component of HRQoL, the impact was seen only in the group with the highest fitness level. Conclusions The findings suggest a positive contribution of physical fitness to mental health and highlight the importance of both muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness in the promotion of HRQoL. Even lighter forms of physical activity that result in moderate physical fitness could contribute to the physical component of HRQoL. In terms of the mental component of HRQoL, higher levels of physical fitness may be needed to gain higher levels of HRQoL among young males.