Using the health belief model to reveal the perceptions of Jamaican and Haitian men regarding prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and perceptions of Jamaican and Haitian men regarding prostate cancer. METHODS: A qualitative design was used and ethnographic accounts were collected. RESULTS: The Jamaican men were knowledgeable of the signs, symptoms, and risks for prostate cancer. They believed early detection was associated with positive outcomes. All of the Jamaican men had been screened within the past five years. The Haitian men were less knowledgeable, had more misconceptions than the Jamaican men, were less optimistic that prostate cancer could be cured, and were less likely to have been screened. CONCLUSIONS: While qualitative findings cannot be generalized, language and cultural differences appear to have a negative impact on the level of knowledge that Haitian men have regarding prostate cancer, and their perception of the severity and outcomes. These same factors hinder efforts to recruit Haitian men as research participants