five research topics that explore men-related issues

As Movember arrives every year, men all over the world channel their inner Tom Selleck, flashing their mustaches all over social media. But behind this viral trend is a movement dedicated to bringing attention to an often overlooked issue: men’s health.

On average, men have a shorter life expectancy than women – a gap that starts at birth and widens with age. This inequality is not merely biological; men experience higher rates of smoking, alcohol use and substance use. They are also less likely to schedule regular health checks, which can delay vital diagnoses for conditions such as prostate cancer. Prostate cancer alone accounts for nearly 15% of all new cancer cases in the United States.

Men’s mental health is just as important. Although emotional challenges are universal, societal expectations of masculinity often discourage men from seeking help, potentially leaving many mental health issues unnoticed.

To support the ongoing conversation about men’s health, we present five research topics on men’s reproductive health, advances in prostate cancer detection and treatment, and more.

All articles are openly available to view and download.

25,000 views | 10 items

This research topic provides insight into how novel environmental, lifestyle and psychological factors contribute to reproductive harm in men and the mechanisms involved.

The continued decline in semen quality observed in recent decades has raised concerns worldwide. Although traditional environmental pollutants have been extensively studied, they explain only a small portion of reproductive damage.

Emerging factors, such as new environmental exposures (e.g. microplastics, flame retardants, substitutes for traditional toxicants and biological contaminants such as COVID-19), lifestyle habits (e.g. social jet lag, night light exposure, specific nutrient intake) and psychological stress (e.g. negative life events, anxiety, depression) – remain underexposed.

It is critical to understand how these new factors affect men’s reproductive health, including endocrine disruption, sperm damage, subfertility and infertility.

View research topic

29,000 views | 16 articles

This research topic focuses on gender differences in morbidity, mortality and economic productivity losses. Gender refers to the roles, characteristics, behaviors and opportunities associated with being male, female or gender non-binary.

The study examines the determinants of these differences, which may include social position, health behavior, care responsibilities, educational and occupational status, and health care system responses. The core idea is that gender is an important social determinant, shaping health behaviors, exposures and vulnerabilities while influencing how healthcare systems respond. Furthermore, it intersects with other social determinants, such as socio-economic status and physical abilities.

Risk factors for chronic diseases vary between men and women. By examining and monitoring trends in exposure to risk factors and access to healthcare, this study provides valuable insights into the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.

View research topic

29,900 views | 15 articles

The aim of this Research Topic is to investigate the clinical features of prostate cancer – particularly lethal forms such as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and neuroendocrine prostate cancer – and to uncover novel mechanisms driving its development and progression.

Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among men worldwide. Androgen deprivation therapy remains the first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, but also increases the incidence of castration-resistant prostate cancer. More potent inhibitors of the androgen receptor pathway have shown significant improvements in controlling these advanced stages of the disease.

View research topic

23,000 views | 10 items

This research topic explores the role of contemporary fathers as co-parents in various contexts. Significant social changes in recent decades have highlighted that mother-centered models of parenting research do not fully reflect fathers’ involvement as caregivers and coparents.

Recent studies suggest that fathers have significant direct and indirect influence on children’s development and the quality of partner relationships through co-parenting – the way parents work together (or against each other) to care for their children.

While much of the literature on coparenting has focused on gender differences in the roles and involvement of opposite-sex coparents, the role of fathers in coparenting is now being explored with fathers as active research participants in broader contexts that better reflect the role of fathers in co-parenting. contemporary families and real-life experiences, including fathers of multiple children, families in transition, and families from diverse cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds.

View research topic

22,600 views | 12 articles

This research topic provides an open discussion on the impact of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Early identification of prostate cancer is critical because the disease can be highly metastatic, leading to a lower survival rate. Early detection improves the prognosis of patients and enables timely treatment. Over the years, diagnostic tools for prostate cancer have advanced, including transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy and histopathology before radical prostatectomy. However, biopsies are invasive and studies have shown that they can underdiagnose patients with advanced prostate cancer.

View research topic