Masculine Norm Adherence Among Australian Men: Latent Structure of the <scp>CMNI‐22</scp> and Its Links With Mental Health Outcomes

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Masculine norms influence men's health and wellbeing. In Australia, interest in the role of these masculine norms resulted in an assessment of masculine norm adherence being included in the Ten to Men Study, measured using the 22-item version of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI-22). The CMNI-22 has been previously treated as a unidimensional (i.e., single overall score) and multidimensional (i.e., 11-factors) assessment. However, there remains limited evidence regarding the optimal way to use the CMNI-22 data provided by more than 14 000 Australian men. Accordingly, this study aimed to (a) investigate the latent factor structure of the CMNI-22, and (b) to compare the utility of unidimensional and multidimensional approaches to predict men's wellbeing over time. METHODS AND RESULTS: Factor analyses revealed that the CMNI-22 is best understood as a multidimensional measure containing 11 factors. These dimensions often report better internal reliability than the total score. The multidimensional conceptualisation also explains larger proportions of variance in a range of mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, psychological wellbeing) compared to the unidimensional one, highlighting different associations between specific dimensions and mental health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Scholars and policymakers utilising the Ten to Men dataset (or the CMNI-22) to understand links between masculinity and men's health will benefit from using this multidimensional conceptualisation instead of the unidimensional alternative. So What? When more comprehensive screening assessments are not possible, the CMNI-22 appears to provide a brief, but reliable, multidimensional assessment of masculine norms. It is not advisable to use a single total score.