Health Beliefs And Practices Among African American Men Concernign Prostate Cancer Screening

African American men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the United States and the world (American Cancer Society [ACS], 1996). Nevertheless, studies have indicated that African American men are the least likely to participate in prostate cancer screening programs (Myers, Wolfe, Balshem, Ross, & Chodak 1994; Underwood, 1991). Many researchers have hypothesized that health beliefs influence health practices. Therefore, this study examines the health beliefs and practices among African American men concerning prostate cancer screening. Becker\u27s Health Belief Model was used as the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions examined the health beliefs and practices among African American men concerning prostate cancer screening. A self-administered, structured questionnaire examined African American men\u27s health beliefs and practices concerning prostate cancer. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. A Chi-square revealed the variables of perceived risk of prostate cancer and age were statistically dependent, p = 0.069. The settings for this study were churches in a large urban area in north-central Alabama. The sample was 91 African American men 40 years of age and older. Even though the majority of men had some college education, had prostate cancer screening tests, and had talked with their doctor about prostate cancer, more than 90% of the men believed their chances of developing prostate cancer were the same or less than the average man. Findings from this study suggest that a need exists for health care providers to educate African American men about prostate cancer risk factors. Further research is recommended to explore African American men\u27s health beliefs and practices across educational and socioeconomic boundaries