A prostate cancer screening program for low-income African Americans

African-American men bear a disproportionate burden for prostate cancer (PCa) compared to other ethnic and racial groups. They have the highest incidence of PCa in the world and a two-fold higher mortality. They also have significantly lower levels of knowledge and lower screening rates. The study goal was to increase PCa screening rates at the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center (MWCHC) and in the community by improving PCa knowledge and attitudes towards PCa screening among low-income African-American men in Nashville. Men 45 years and older who had not received PCa screening for at least one year were targeted. The study objectives were to 1) obtain information about PCa knowledge and barriers to PCa screening using three focus groups; 2) establish a community advisory board (CAB) consisting of participants selected from the focus groups to develop an intervention guide to reduce barriers; and 3) evaluate the efficacy of the intervention in improving PCa knowledge and screening rates. Quantitative and qualitative methods that incorporated community participation were utilized to design and assess the effectiveness of the PCa education intervention. The project was executed in three phases: 1) Assessment Phase, focus groups to ascertain information about barriers to PCa knowledge and screening. 2) Intervention Development Phase, working with the CAB to develop the education intervention. 3) Evaluation Phase, assessing the effectiveness of the intervention in improving PCa knowledge and screening rates in a sample of 520 African-American males three months after the intervention. Study findings and policy implications will be described.