Factors Associated With Cancer Family History Communication Between African American Men and Their Relatives

Abstract

African American men bear a disproportionately high burden from cancer in the U.S. The American Cancer Society reports that for all cancer sites combined, African American men are 32% more likely to die than white men (American Cancer Society, 2011). Having a family history of cancer elevates an individual's risk for the disease and should inform decision-making around the use of specific cancer screening tests as well as earlier onset and frequency of cancer screening. Adult African American men who attended an annual hospital-based community health fair in the Midwest which targeted minority men, were approached to complete a paper-based survey. Participants were asked "have you ever talked with any of your relatives about your family history of cancer (about any members of your family who have been diagnosed with cancer)?" Predictors were evaluated using bivariate analysis and logistic regression; they included socio-demographic, health access, health behavior, health status, and communication variables. Participants were 558 African American men with a mean age of 54 years old. African American men were most likely to have ever discussed their family history of cancer with a relative if they had specific knowledge of their family history of cancer and if they had ever talked to a physician about their family history of cancer. For African American men with a familial predisposition to cancer, further examination of barriers and facilitators to discussion with relatives, specifically those related to health access and knowledge, is warranted.

Keywords: African American; cancer; communication; family history; men.