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September 6, 2017/News Releases

Cleveland Clinic Survey: Fathers Want to Break the Silence and Talk About Health With Their Sons

National MENtion It campaign illustrates how important it is to know your family health history

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Senior father and son talking while having coffee on sofa

While it’s easy for dads and sons to talk about sports, work or the weather, when it comes to health issues, opening up may not be so simple. A new national survey by Cleveland Clinic suggests that today’s fathers with sons are looking to change that, especially the younger millennial generation.

When Cleveland Clinic surveyed more than 500 U.S. males over the age of 18, who are currently fathers or father figures to a boy, and who had a father and/or father figure growing up, about two-thirds (62 percent) reported wishing that their own father/father figure had talked to them more about health topics. In fact, about half (47 percent) said that they didn’t know about their family health history until they started to go to the doctor as an adult.

Mention It, Cleveland Clinic
About half (50 percent) of African American fathers whose family doesn’t openly talk about health issues and concerns want to break the pattern with their families.

The survey was issued as part of Cleveland Clinic’s second annual educational campaign, “MENtion It,” which aims to address the fact that men often do not “MENtion” health issues or take steps to prevent them. According to the survey, there seems to be a conversation gap when it comes to talking about annual health exams, sex and urological health. Among those who speak about health with their father/father figure, only around one-third of men surveyed said their father discusses getting annual health exams (35 percent) with them, and even fewer discuss sex (28 percent) and urological health (23 percent).

Dad whose family battled cancer 3 times encourages others to check family history. https://t.co/WhGRs8mFV5 #MENtionIt pic.twitter.com/zqt3pjEzQL



— Cleveland Clinic (@ClevelandClinic) September 20, 2017

“This survey shows that today’s fathers are ready to talk about health issues and concerns openly with their sons but many dads struggle on where to begin,” said Eric Klein, M.D., chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute. “Whether or not they learned to stay quiet from their own dad, we are trying to encourage men to break that tradition and let their sons know that they can come to them if they have a health issue or concern.”

About half (50 percent) of African American fathers whose family doesn’t openly talk about health issues and concerns want to break the pattern with their families.

Full results: Cleveland Clinic 2017 MENtion It Survey

Other Key Findings from the Survey

  • Younger generations of fathers are significantly more likely to have a father/father figure that has/does talk to them about their health (Millennials: 84 percent vs. Baby Boomers: 48 percent).
  • About one-third (32 percent) of fathers currently don’t talk to their family about their health issues and concerns because they don’t want to worry people.
  • 85 percent of fathers who talk to their son(s) about health, started the conversation when their son(s) were under 16 years old.

When the survey results were broken down by ethnicity, Cleveland Clinic found the following:

  • About half (50 percent) of African American fathers whose family doesn’t openly talk about health issues and concerns want to break the pattern with their families.
  • About two-thirds (62 percent) of Hispanic fathers said that their family hid family health issues from them as a kid but talked to them more about it as an adult.
  • About one-third (31 percent) of Hispanic fathers say they want to talk to their son about health topics but struggle to find the right words.

The survey findings illustrate how important it is to be aware of the health issues that run in the family since only about one-in-ten fathers (12 percent) surveyed indicated that they consult their dad regarding family health history.

“We know there are multiple genes that are inherited from your parents that increase your risk of getting certain diseases,” said Dr. Klein. “For example, having a father with prostate cancer doubles your risk of getting the same cancer. Knowing your family history is important because your doctor can determine if you’re at high risk of getting the same disease, and you can then be screened appropriately.

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About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 81,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,743 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,160 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,690-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 276 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2023, there were 13.7 million outpatient encounters, 323,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 301,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 132 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

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