This is (Not?) A Man’s World: A Latent Pattern Content Analysis Investigating In/Exclusion of Men Within Resources of Eating, Exercise and Body Image Healthcare Organisations

Objectives:
To highlight the in/exclusive content of documentation used by healthcare organisations (services and charities) that care for eating, exercise, and/or body image psychopathology (EEBIP) through the lens of men experiencing EEBIP.
Design:
A cross-sectional content analysis of documentation was chosen to extract and analyse the use of text and imagery within resources and policies to infer potential causes of in/exclusion of men.
Methods:
Email requests for four document types (outreach resources, websites, referral policies, and patient welcome packs) from eating disorder services (EDS) and EEBIP related charities yielded 86 documents from 15 EDS (four NHS and 11 private), and three charities. A latent pattern content analysis was used to code masculine, feminine, or neutral perception of images, and the content within them (e.g. number of male/female-facing people within the image). Text was coded for in/exclusive content towards gender identity (e.g. pronoun use) and commonly gendered symptomology (e.g. muscularity-oriented, as often linked to masculinity).
Results:
Images were mostly themed as gender-neutral (53.9%) or feminine (38.1%). Many true-life images were female-facing (73.2%), yet illustrations were commonly male-facing (54%). Analysis of outreaching information (e.g., webpages) revealed a focus on thinness-oriented behaviours, with little mention of muscularity. Referral policies were mostly inclusive to men and muscularity-oriented EEBIP. Patient handbooks regularly used task-oriented language which previous research highlights as male-friendly.
Conclusions:
This analysis reveals areas for targeted inclusivity developments in EEBIP healthcare organisations. Future research should investigate the influence these documents have on those seeking help and those working in relevant organisations.