Promoting informed decision making: evaluating a community-based prostate health awareness program.
BACKGROUND
For health educators, the controversy surrounding routine prostate cancer screening provides curriculum development and delivery challenges. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a community-based prostate health awareness program.


METHODS
Using a pretest-posttest design, participants were recruited from community-based organizations to assess the effectiveness of the program in the areas of knowledge gain, short-term intentions, and changing prostate health behaviors.


RESULTS
Many of the participants reported having been tested for prostate cancer, yet there was a lower than expected pretest knowledge base. There were significant increases in knowledge on the posttest and some impact on short-term intentions and behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
A community-based prostate health awareness program prior to the patient-physician encounter can assist health-care professionals in the education process and give men the tools to make an informed decision.
Department of Family Practice, Wayne State University, 101 East Alexandrine, 2nd Floor, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. pbridge@med.wayne.edu
Patrick D
PD
Bridge
Lisa C
LC
Berry-Bobovski
Richard E
RE
Gallagher
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D003657:Decision Making; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*