The interplay of hegemonic masculinity and health literacy in the successful cardiovascular self-care among Pakistani immigrant men in Toronto: ethnographic case studies

As a second-generation Canadian Pakistani man, I observed Pakistani men adapting their masculinity features in order to optimize their use of health information to improve their cardiovascular self-care behaviours. However, limited literature exists on the topic. Informed by Orem’s theory of self-care, the purpose of this was study was to understand how the interplay between hegemonic masculinity and health literacy unfolded in Pakistani immigrant men’s cardiovascular self-care. Three Pakistani men were separately interviewed, and each ethnographic case study was analyzed and then compared across the three cases. Results show that the participants were influenced by both Pakistani and Canadian cultures, which created options and opportunities for successful cardiovascular self-care unique to the participants. The results also show that individual’s health literacy is intertwined with culture, gendered constructs, and immigrant context. Future research could focus on how to promote men’s health.