Strategies to promote men's health-seeking behaviour: a systematic review

Abstract

Background : Men’s underutilisation of healthcare services remains a public health challenge, contributing to delayed diagnosis, low uptake of preventive services, avoidable complications, and poor health outcomes. Although barriers to men’s health-seeking behaviour have been widely documented, less attention has been given to synthesising evidence on strategies to address this challenge. This systematic review synthesised evidence on interventions and strategies to promote health-seeking behaviour among adult men. Methods : Systematic searches of PubMed, EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were conducted to identify studies published between January 2000 and February 2026. Grey literature was searched through repositories and relevant organisational websites. Primary studies involving men aged ≥ 18 years that evaluated interventions to improve health-seeking behaviour or healthcare utilisation were included. Records were managed using Rayyan, independently screened by three reviewers, and appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Owing to heterogeneity in study designs, settings, interventions, and outcomes, findings were synthesised narratively using thematic analysis. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Results : Six strategy categories were identified: peer-led male engagement, Men’s Sheds programmes, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing, digital health interventions, facility-based health education programmes, and male-friendly dedicated spaces within health facilities. These strategies were associated with increased willingness to seek healthcare, greater healthcare utilisation, improved knowledge, enhanced uptake of preventive services, and stronger engagement in health-seeking behaviours. However, evidence was limited by the small number of studies, methodological heterogeneity, and the predominance of descriptive and observational studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. Conclusions : Multi-component interventions integrating community-based approaches, digital health technologies, and health system adaptations are more likely to improve men’s engagement with healthcare services than single-component interventions. Rigorous, context-specific intervention studies are needed to determine which strategies are most effective, for whom, and under what circumstances.