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. 2025 May 19;25(1):131.
doi: 10.1186/s12894-025-01721-x.

Facilitators of, and barriers to, prostate cancer screening uptake: A descriptive phenomenological study of adult men in Namibia

Nestor Tomas  1 , Festus Meyambeko Benyamin  2
Affiliations

Facilitators of, and barriers to, prostate cancer screening uptake: A descriptive phenomenological study of adult men in Namibia

Nestor Tomas et al. BMC Urol. .

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer poses a significant health risk for aging men, with a higher prevalence observed in individuals aged 40 and above. The objectives of this study were to describe the facilitators of, and barriers to, prostate cancer screening among men between the ages of 50 and 70.

Methods: The study employed a qualitative descriptive phenomenological design. Data were collected at the oncology and urology departments of an intermediate hospital in Oshana region, Namibia using a semi-structured interview guide. Individual, face-to-face interviews were held between September and October 2022, after which the data gathered were analyzed thematically following Colaizzi's 7-step method.

Results: Fifteen (15) participants took part in this study. The two major themes that were generated were: (1) Value of early detection, which described the participants' perceptions regarding the facilitators of prostate cancer screening; and (2) Potential threats to PCa screening, which described the participants' perceptions regarding the barriers to taking up cancer screening.

Conclusions: The study revealed modifiable barriers to PCa screening, including fear of stigmatization, lack of knowledge, and insufficient screening access, as well as facilitators that can be strengthened for successful prostate cancer screening, such as advanced age, history of prostate cancer, and social support. These findings emphasize the need to implement gender-specific campaigns that address masculinity, lack of knowledge, and cultural stigmatization.

Keywords: Aged; Early detection; Policy; Prostate-specific antigen; Stereotyping.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was carried out with the approval of the Ethical Committee of the School of Nursing and Public Health at the University of Namibia (SoNEC 112/2022) and the Ministry of Health and Social Services (Ref: 22/3/1/2). All the participants provided written informed consent before joining the study. The participants were also notified that they had the option to withdraw from the study at any point. The study adhered to the principles of the revised Declaration of Helsinki guidelines for medical research that involves human subjects. Consent for publication: Written informed consent obtained from the study participants was limited to participation and publication of data only without any identifying images. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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