A comparison of a spiritually based and non-spiritually based educational intervention for informed decision making for prostate cancer screening among church-attending African-American men

Abstract

Introduction: Health communication interventions have been modestly effective for increasing informed decision making for prostate cancer screening among African-American men; however, knowledge and informed decision making is still questionable even with screening. Church-based programs may be more effective if they are spiritually based in nature.

Objective: The aims of the present study were to implement and provide an initial evaluation of a spiritually based prostate cancer screening informed decision making intervention for African-American men who attend church, and determine its efficacy for increasing informed decision making.

Design and method: Churches were randomized to receive either the spiritually based or the non-spiritual intervention. Trained community health advisors, who were African-American male church members, led an educational session and distributed educational print materials. Participants completed baseline and immediate follow-up surveys to assess the intervention impact on study outcomes.

Results: The spiritually based intervention appeared to be more effective in areas such as knowledge, and men read more of their materials in the spiritually based group than in the non-spiritual group.

Conclusions: Further examination of the efficacy of the spiritually based approach to health communication is warranted.

Figure 1. Community Health Advisor Training Curriculum

*Covered in spiritually based group only.

Figure 2. Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook Readability Formula Developed by Harold C. McGraw, Office of Educational Research, Baltimore County School, Towson, MD