Student army volunteers to assist at men’s health day

More than 120 University of Wollongong medical, nursing and health sciences students have volunteered to help run free medical checks at a giant men’s health day in Wollongong on Friday, 20 August.

The students will be part of the health and medical team for the ahm CHECK IT men’s health initiative at WIN Entertainment Centre, assisting doctors from the Illawarra Division of General Practice who will be offering a series of free health and medical checks for men during the event, which runs from midday to 6pm.

The students will be taking blood pressure, taking finger-prick blood analysis for cholesterol and blood sugar levels, taking height and weight measurements and calculating BMIs (body mass indexes).

CHECK IT is being organised by a community committee called Healthier Illawarra Men (HIM), which includes UOW Pro Vice-Chancellor (Health) Professor Don Iverson and Kay Kent and Susan Liersch from the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences. UOW is also a gold sponsor of the event.

HIM chairman, Wollongong lawyer Mark McDonald, visited UOW today (2 August) to attend a briefing for the student volunteers and to thank them for their participation.

“This is a fabulous response from the students, and they will be making a vital contribution to the day,” Mr McDonald said. “The University was also one of the first organisations to put up its hand as a sponsor for this event, and we really are grateful for the support.”

Professor Iverson said participating in the event was a great opportunity for the students, most of whom were preparing for careers in health and medical services.

“It will be a great chance for them to hone their skills – for example taking blood pressure from people of different ages and sizes – and talking to people about their health issues and concerns. I am overwhelmed by the number of students who have volunteered, and I am sure they will find this a very positive experience.”

Professor Iverson said CHECK IT was an exciting initiative which had the potential to play a major role in promoting men’s health in the Illawarra. “And the best thing about it is that the idea came from the community – the community came to the university asking for assistance, and we were only too happy to provide it.”

Mr McDonald said the idea for CHECK IT grew from concerns about Australian men routinely ignoring symptoms and avoiding visiting doctors. HIM was formed by people who were determined to change this by encouraging men to become proactive in maintaining their health.

CHECK IT will include a variety of screenings, blood tests and assessments for conditions such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes and some risk factors for cancer and heart disease, as well as providing opportunities for men to seek advice on issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, alcohol abuse, drug dependency and cancer.

The day will feature presentations from celebrity speakers and health experts on a variety of topics associated with men’s health, while many organisations devoted to men’s health issues will have information booths at the WIN Entertainment Centre.

Nick Hartgerink

2 August 2010

Last reviewed: 2 August, 2010