A new survey has found that America’s youngest men may not be taking their health care seriously, as 37% don’t have a primary care provider.
The survey comes from Cleveland Clinic, which found that Gen Z men, or those born between 1997 and 2005, do not have an established primary doctor, the highest rate of any group surveyed.
Compared to other generations, the survey found that among millennial men, 27% don’t have a primary doctor, and 17% of Gen Z men don’t. Among baby boomers, only 7% don’t have a primary care provider.
The survey stressed the importance of having a primary physician, as Petar Bajic, director of the Center for Men’s Health at the Cleveland Clinic, shared that it could help prevent serious health risks.
“Monitoring key indicators in men like blood pressure and cholesterol in addition to sexual health concerns is crucial because we know that these can often signal a larger underlying health condition,” Bajic said in a statement.
Bajic added that having a provider who knows your family history and health risks linked to your age is “essential” for everyone, including younger men.
However, those who are taking action to ensure their health is in good standing depends on their age.
The poll found that while 61% of Gen X and boomers get a yearly physical, only a third of millennials and Gen Zers do.
However, millennials and Gen Z men were more likely to address mental health issues (59%) compared to their Gen X and boomer counterparts.
When it comes to what worries men the most, the survey found that 74% are afraid of getting cancer, but despite this, screenings and cancer awareness remain low.
The survey found that despite some not having a primary doctor, 87% of men still worry about how their current habits will affect their health in the future.
“We saw in the survey that men are concerned with how the health decisions they make now will affect them in the future,” Bajic said in the study.