Determining effective co-production strategies for working with young men in sensitive health and social care research

Funded by NIHR RSS Research Methods Fund

This project aims to explores co-production strategies to engage heterosexual men in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health and social care services. This group is currently the least engaged in health and social care research, with limited participation in both the design and implementation of services and initiatives. This presents a significant challenge in ensuring that services are tailored to meet the specific needs of heterosexual men. By identifying collaborative approaches tailored to the specific needs of this population, the research aims to empower men to actively shape services impacting their well-being. The research objectives include a rapid review of the literature on co-production and recruitment strategies involving heterosexual men, an international mixed-methods survey to examine the challenges faced by researchers, and two UK-based workshops with community partners to explore challenges and solutions for co-production with heterosexual men. This study aims to enhance participation and contribute to more effective health and social care outcomes by improving the involvement of heterosexual men in relevant initiatives. The goal of this project is to develop best practices for co-production that can be tested and scaled in future projects, leading to more effective outcomes for heterosexual men.