Prostate cancer in Florida: knowledge, attitudes, practices, and beliefs

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Oncology
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Prostate cancer is a growing public health concern in Florida, particularly affecting elderly and underserved populations.
• Early detection significantly improves prostate cancer outcomes, yet screening rates remain suboptimal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess knowledge, attitudes, practices, and beliefs regarding prostate cancer prevention and early detection among older men in Florida.
• To identify barriers to prostate cancer early detection methods, specifically the digital rectal examination.

Main Methods:

• Bilingual, random-digit-dialed telephone interviews were conducted with 897 men aged 65 and older in Dade and Hillsborough counties.
• The sample was stratified by race and ethnicity to ensure diverse representation.

Main Results:

• Over 60% of respondents believed prostate cancer has a high cure rate, yet only 67% reported ever having a digital rectal examination.
• Black and Hispanic men were twice as likely as white men to have never had a digital rectal examination.
• Common reasons for not undergoing the examination included it being 'not needed/not necessary' or 'had not had any problems'.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist in prostate cancer awareness and screening practices among older Floridian men.
• Barriers such as perceived lack of necessity and absence of symptoms hinder the adoption of early detection methods.
• Targeted interventions are essential to overcome these barriers and promote the use of prostate cancer early-detection programs.