| Sumario: | Why are men under-represented as users of arthritis self-management programs? What are the main barriers to service access? This paper explores the interaction between work, gender, and self-management of a chronic illness from a socio-constructive perspective. A qualitative study was conducted involving in-depth interviews with 17 men with arthritis. This paper discusses the role of work as one of the factors affecting men's access to arthritis self-management services. Work was found to be a significant conceptual, structural, and social barrier due to: its role in relation to men's concepts of health and fitness; practical difficulties in accessing services during business hours; and sociocultural influences resulting in prioritising of work commitments over health concerns. The structural, conceptual, and sociocultural work influences were more of a constraint for men in the middle stages of life when work and family obligations were greatest. Further research extending this understanding would inform the development of gender-sensitive delivery of self-management services.
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