Development and Psychometric Properties of a Prostate Cancer Knowledge Scale for African American Men

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Disparities Research
• Psychometrics

Background:

• African American men face the highest prostate cancer mortality rates nationally.
• Existing measures of prostate cancer (PrCA) knowledge in this population lack consistent psychometric evidence.
• Understanding PrCA knowledge is crucial for informed screening decisions and reducing health disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and psychometrically evaluate a Prostate Cancer Knowledge Scale specifically for African American men.
• To assess the multidimensional nature of PrCA knowledge in this demographic.
• To provide a reliable tool for interventions aimed at improving PrCA health literacy.

Main Methods:

• Development of an 18-item Prostate Cancer Knowledge Scale.
• Psychometric evaluation using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with weighted least square mean and variance estimation and Geomin rotation.
• Internal consistency reliability assessed using the KR-20 statistic.

Main Results:

• EFA identified a three-factor structure: PrCA Anatomy and Screening (6 items), Risk Factors (5 items), and Warning Signs (7 items).
• The total scale achieved good internal consistency (KR-20 = .80), with subscales demonstrating adequate reliability (KR-20 = .64–.75).
• Factor loadings ranged from .31 to .86, and the standardized root mean square residual (0.08) supported the factor structure.

Conclusions:

• The 18-item Prostate Cancer Knowledge Scale is a multidimensional and reliable instrument for measuring PrCA knowledge in African American men.
• This scale can inform targeted interventions to improve prostate cancer screening decision-making.
• Further validation is recommended across diverse African American populations.