title: Associations between patient-provider communication and socio-cultural factors in prostate cancer patients: a cross-sectional evaluation of racial differences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between socio-cultural factors and patient-provider communication and related racial differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data analysis included 1854 men with prostate cancer from a population-based study. Participants completed an assessment of communication variables, physician trust, perceived racism, religious beliefs, traditional health beliefs, and health literacy. A multi-group structural equation modeling approach was used to address the research aims.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with African Americans, Caucasian Americans had significantly greater mean scores of interpersonal treatment (p<0.01), prostate cancer communication (p<0.001), and physician trust (p<0.001), but lower mean scores of religious beliefs, traditional health beliefs, and perceived racism (all p values <0.001). For both African and Caucasian Americans, better patient-provider communication was associated with more physician trust, less perceived racism, greater religious beliefs (all p-values <0.01), and at least high school education (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Socio-cultural factors are associated with patient-provider communication among men with cancer. No evidence supported associations differed by race.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To facilitate patient-provider communication during prostate cancer care, providers need to be aware of patient education levels, engage in behaviors that enhance trust, treat patients equally, respect religious beliefs, and reduce the difficulty level of the information.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA. Electronic address: lsong@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Lixin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA; School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA; School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Jeannette T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Bensen
authors.affiliation: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, School of Public Health, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fontham
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA; Department of Urology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, USA.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mohler
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Merle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mishel
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA; School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Godley
authors.affiliation: Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sleath
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054521:Cultural Competency; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D035502:Trust; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Beliefs; Communication; Literacy; PCaP; Physician trust; Prostate cancer; Race; Racism