I need an intervention: Please don't wait until I'm 40 to educate me about prostate cancer!

Controversy about the efficacy of prostate cancer screening versus no screening and watchful waiting verses aggressive treatment continues. Despite having higher mortality rates, African American men may not be prepared to make informed decisions about prostate cancer screening and treatment. It may be necessary to begin educating these men well before they reach the recommended screening age. Guided by the Patient/Provider/System Model for Cancer Screening, the current descriptive, study compares knowledge of prostate cancer among African American men (N=228) who attend historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU; n=129) to those who attend federally qualified health centers (FQHC; n=99). Data were collected using a prostate cancer knowledge survey and a demographic questionnaire. The average age of the men was 29.5 years with men at HBCUs being significantly younger than the other men. The average score on the prostate cancer knowledge survey was 6.93 (max=11; range=3-11) but there was not a significant difference in total scores between men at HBCUs and FQHCs. There were differences on item responses between the two groups. For example, men at HBCUs associated pain with the presence of prostate cancer, were less clear on the role of diet as a risk factor, and associated the frequency of sex with an increased risk for prostate cancer. Only 16% of the men know someone with prostate cancer and 27% (of men aged 40 and above) reported having prostate cancer screening within the past year. African American men have the highest incidence of a disease that providers cannot give a definitive answer as to whether they should be screened and/or seek aggressive treatment, if diagnosed. Therefore, it is important that these men have a clearer understanding of the disease. Findings from this study suggest interventions should begin to target men during their college years. Campus clubs, organizations, and health centers could form partnerships that would effectively educate these men about prostate cancer. Earlier intervention may result in positive lifestyle changes overtime that may decrease risk and increase their ability to make an informed decision about prostate cancer screening and treatment.