Comparing knowledge of colorectal and prostate cancer among African American and Hispanic men.
African American and Hispanic men are less likely to participate in prostate and colorectal cancer screening and have poorer outcomes from these diseases. Guided by the Patient/Provider/System Theoretical Model for Cancer Screening, this study compares the relationships among knowledge of prostate and colorectal cancer, perceptions of cancer fatalism, common sources of cancer information, and awareness of cancer resources screening between African American (n = 72) and Hispanic (n = 47) men who attend federally qualified health centers and a hospital-based primary care clinic in a southern state. African American men were older, had higher levels of education, and were more knowledgeable about cancer than Hispanic men were. However, Hispanic men were more fatalistic about cancer. Most men in both groups were more likely to get cancer information from the television and/or radio, with few accessing the Internet for this information. The men were not aware of many of the leading cancer-related organizations and programs. Nurses continue to play a critical role in patient education and enhancing screening rates. These findings suggest that culturally and educationally appropriate intervention strategies are needed to enhance knowledge and that the television/radio may be an effective medium for delivering these strategies.
Powe
Barbara D
BD
Behavioral Research Center, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Barbara.Powe@cancer.org
Cooper
Dexter L
DL
Harmond
Lokie
L
Ross
Louie
L
Mercado
Flavia E
FE
Faulkenberry
Rachel
R
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003469:Culture; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult