Community heros: Influence of the Community Advocates for Prostate Education (CAPE) community health worker training program on health advocacy in African American men

African American men are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage of prostate cancer. Among those who have never had prostate cancer, studies demonstrate African American men report having a lower working knowledge of prostate cancer prevention information. The Community Health Worker (CHW) model is an effective tool for reaching a large number of individuals with health information that is culturally, linguistically and literacy appropriate. There is a need to examine the influence of utilizing CHWs as prostate health educators in the communities they serve to impact the ability of the participants to advocate for personal and community health. The Community Advocates for Prostate Education Community Health Worker Training Program aims to increase awareness with regard to men's health, specifically, in prostate cancer early detection and education. For this study, African American men were recruited to assess change in perceived empowerment from participation in this program. African American men are targeted because they are, in general, bearing the burden of prostate cancer disparities—more than any other racial/ethnic group in the United States. Moreover, given the recommendation for informed decision making (IDM) as part of the pre-screening process for prostate cancer, it is imperative to determine which methods of education and awareness are most appropriate for targeting this community. During this presentation, findings from this study will be discussed as well as implications for future health education and program planning efforts.