Church-Based Intervention on Prostate Cancer Screening for African American Men

African American men have a significantly higher incidence of prostate cancer, they are diagnosed at a later age, have more advanced stages of cancer at diagnosis, and higher mortality rates than other ethnic group. The purpose of this project, guided by the Ottawa decision support framework and the health belief model, was to investigate whether church leaders could be trained to deliver an educational program about the value of prostate cancer screening to African American males in a church setting. The 2 participants were church leaders in a predominantly African American church. The participants were taught about prostate cancer and the value of screening using videos and informative brochures developed by the National Institute on Aging, the American Cancer Society, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A researcher-designed pre- and posttest questionnaire was used to measure learning. Data were analyzed using a paired sample t test. Although small sample size may have contributed to lack of statistical significance, the mean score comparison showed knowledge acquisition, thus enabling the trainers to offer the information to members of their congregation, who could then make informed decisions. This study demonstrated the value of using unconventional educational settings, such as churches, to reach populations who might be unaware of their health risks. The results show that church leaders can be trained to have a positive impact on the physical health of their congregations and promote social change by encouraging health care practitioners to investigate alternative settings and methods to educate vulnerable populations about diseases and disease prevention