title: Impact of pretest on posttest knowledge scores with a Solomon Four research design.
abstract: There is a paucity of research on the effects of pretest measurement with prostate cancer screening. What effect does a pretest measurement have on posttest outcomes? This research reports knowledge of prostate cancer screening among men randomized to an Enhanced decision aid versus an Usual Care decision aid. Using a Solomon Four research design, there were a total of 198 men in 4 groups. Most of the sample was African American (78%), with a mean age of 52 years. The greatest posttest knowledge occurred with the Enhanced decision aid in contrast to the Usual Care. The Enhanced/Usual Care groups that had both a pretest and posttest and had received a previous digital rectal examination had the highest means (P = .015), with means of 9.1 and 7.0, respectively. Among men who had a previous digital rectal examination, the greatest increase in score occurred among men randomized to the Enhanced decision aid in contrast to the Usual Care decision aid, 2.9 versus 0.4 (P = .008). The outcome varied based on the status of (1) random group assignment of the Solomon Four design and (2) status of previous digital rectal examination. Implications for nurses include consideration 1 of a pretest to increase posttest knowledge scores.
authors: School of Nursing, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912, USA. sweinrich@mcg.edu
authors: Sally P
authors: SP
authors: Weinrich
authors: Rachelle
authors: R
authors: Seger
authors: Tim
authors: T
authors: Curtsinger
authors: Gwen
authors: G
authors: Pumphrey
authors: Elizabeth G
authors: EG
authors: NeSmith
authors: Martin C
authors: MC
authors: Weinrich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D051517:Digital Rectal Examination; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015399:Nursing Research; D010174:Pamphlets; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011203:Poverty; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012107:Research Design