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Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
Informed decision-making based on a leaflet in the context of prostate cancer screening
Tessa Dierks1, Eveline A M Heijnsdijk1, Ida J Korfage1
1Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Objective:
We aimed to assess to what extent men make informed choices in the context of prostate cancer screening and how written material contributes to that process.
Methods:
We developed a leaflet describing prostate cancer screening, and a questionnaire consisting of knowledge, attitude, and intended screening uptake components to assess informed decision-making. The leaflet and questionnaire were pilot-tested among men of the target population, adapted accordingly, and sent to 761 members of an online research panel. We operationalized whether the leaflet was read as spending one minute on the leaflet page and by a self-reported answer of respondents.
Results:
The response rate was 66% (501/761). The group who read the leaflet (n = 342) correctly answered a knowledge item significantly more often (10.9 versus 8.8; p < 0.001) than those who did not read the leaflet (n = 159), and made more informed choices (73% versus 56%; p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in attitude and intended screening uptake between both groups.
Conclusion:
Having read the leaflet could be one of the factors associated with increased levels of knowledge and informed decision-making.
Practical Implications:
The results of this study showed that increasing knowledge and supporting informed decision-making with written material are feasible in prostate cancer screening.
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