Prostate screening health beliefs and practices of African American men

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the health beliefs and practices of African American men regarding prostate cancer screening. A descriptive non-experimental design was used with a self-administered questionnaire to identify participants' knowledge level, health beliefs and practices related to the screening and early detection of prostate cancer in African American men. Results indicate that most participants had a high level of prostate cancer knowledge, early detection and had prostate screening done on a regular basis. They believed prostate cancer was not preventable but if contracted treatment would be painful and impair sexual function. Other significant beliefs included: good health habits were important, most rated their health as good or excellent, and they rely on their faith to stay healthy. Findings of this study provide culturally appropriate information which may contribute to developing prostate cancer prevention programs in African American communities.