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Brian Rivers, PhD¹, Lee Green, PhD¹, Dhananjaya Arekere, PhD¹, Desiree Rivers, MPH², and Kyrel Rowell, MS². (1) Center for the Study of Health Disparities, Texas A&M Univeristy, 4222 TAMU, 112 Harrington Tower, College Station, TX 77845, 979-862-2958, brivers@hlkn.tamu.edu, (2) Center for the Study of Health Disparities, Texas A&M University, 4222 TAMU, 112 Harrington Tower, College Station, TX 77843

Prostate cancer incidence and deaths among Black men is greater than that of Whites. Current mandates require patients to make an informed decision regarding screening and/or treatment. However, there is a lack of discussion regarding the factors underlying the readiness level of Black men. Because identification of these factors enables appropriate interventions to eliminate high incidence of and mortality due to prostate cancer, this paper aims to ascertain factors influencing readiness to be screened for prostate cancer. Study participants comprised of a convenience sample of Black and White men, 45 years and older, without prostate cancer and residing in the southern U.S. Demographic data and data relating to, prostate knowledge, and perceived readiness to be screened, were collected through a telephone survey. Blacks were significantly (p<0.007) less likely to be ready to be screened as compared to Whites. Similarly, knowledge score was significantly (p<0.007) higher among Whites than Blacks; 19% (81%) of Whites scored less than (more than) seven (eight) as compared to 36% (64%) of Blacks. Logistic regression results show that knowledge is positively and significantly (p<0.028) correlated with perceived readiness to be screened. While income, being insured, and age, all have the expected directional effects on perceived readiness, education is the only variable that does not. Because this is an exploratory study, future research should focus on accessing knowledge and readiness of a representative, random sample. Based on the findings, targeted education, should consider individual-level psychological characteristics, such as prostate cancer knowledge, when increasing readiness.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the learner will be able to

• Identify the factors that influence the Informed Decision Making process for Prostate Cancer Screening for Black Men.
• Discuss the role of specific demographic factors in the informed decision making process for prostate cancer screening.
• Describe the relationsip between prostate cancer education and preceived readiness.

Keywords: Public Health Education and Health Promotion, Cancer Screening

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No