Intention to Be Tested for Prostate Cancer Risk among African-American Men

Intention to Be Tested for Prostate Cancer Risk among African-American Men1

Behavioral Epidemiology Section, Division of Medical Oncology and Medical Genetics [R. E. M., T. A. W., D. Y. B., J. A. D.], and Biostatistics Section, Division of Clinical Pharmacology [T. H.], Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107; College of Nursing and Health Professions, MCP Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 [K. J-D.]; Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC 20007-4104 [C. L.]; and Weiss Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60640 [G. W. C.]

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify factors associated with intention to be tested for prostate cancer risk among African-American men. Participants in this study included African-American men (n = 548) who were patients at the University Health Service at the University of Chicago, were 40 to 70 years of age, and did not have a personal history of prostate cancer. Baseline telephone survey data were collected for 413 (75%) men. Respondents were asked if they intended to have a blood test to assess prostate cancer risk. Univariate and multivariate analyses of intention to be tested for risk were performed. Eighty-six percent of the men said that they intended to be tested. Multivariate analysis results show that belief in the efficacy of prostate cancer screening [odds ratio (OR) = 3.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4, 9.1] and intention to undergo a prostate cancer-screening (i.e., digital rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen testing; OR = 2.8; 95% CI = 1.3, 6.3) were positively associated with intention to be tested for prostate cancer risk. Being older (OR = 0.4; 95% CI = 0.2, 0.9), having had a prostate cancer-screening examination in the past year (OR = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.2, 1.0), perceiving one’s prostate cancer susceptibility to be high (OR = 0.4; 95% CI = 0.2, 0.8), and being fatalistic about prostate cancer prevention (OR = 0.3; 95% CI = 0.2, 0.7) were negatively associated with intention to be tested for risk. Intention to be tested for prostate cancer risk was high among men in the study. Past screening, perceived susceptibility, and beliefs related to early detection might influence receptivity to genetic testing for prostate cancer risk.

Footnotes

The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
↵1 Supported by the National Cancer Institute (Grant R01 CA67464).
↵2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Behavioral Epidemiology Section, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, 125 South Ninth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Phone: (215) 503-4085; Fax (215) 923-9506; E-mail: ron.myers{at}mail.tju.edu
↵3 National Human Genome Research Institute. National cooperative study of prostate cancer in African Americans. URL: www.nhgri.nih.gov/About_NHGRI/Dir/Prostate_Study/about.html.
↵4 The abbreviations used are: PHM, Preventative Health Model; DRE, digital rectal exam; PSA, prostate-specific antigen.
- Accepted September 29, 1900.
- Received May 10, 1900.
- Revision received September 22, 1900.