| Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths nationally and African American men are disproportionately impacted by it. Prostate cancer is the first leading cause of cancer related deaths among African American and Caucasian men in Georgia. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to improve educational awareness interventions that will reduce prostate cancer occurrence among African American men population in Georgia. There is evidence from earlier research studies that African American men population are not familiar with the options available for prostate cancer screening and are less likely to seek prostate cancer screening when cancer is in it nascent state. To better describe lived experiences of African American men and to explore the socio-economic, cultural and perceived barriers that influence their decision to seek prostate cancer screening, a convenience samples size of 12 African American men age 45-75 were recruited in public areas where no written permission was necessary. Participants read and signed the inform consent form prior to engaging in the study. This qualitative case study used open-ended questions arranged in 4 semi-structured interview sessions and questionnaires to arrive at five relevant themes and are recorded as follows; (a) inadequate knowledge of prostate cancer, (b) fear of digital rectal examination (DRE), (c) wife/family involvement, (d) effect on masculinity, and (e) provider-patient communication. Participants in this study demonstrated in their responses inadequate knowledge of prostate cancer and those who received screening verbalized their concerns regarding the effects of digital rectal examination (DRE) on their masculinity. |
