Health Practices of Male Department of Defense Health Care Beneficiaries: A Follow-Up on Prostate Cancer Screening in the National Capital Area

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess screening for prostate cancer (PC) of male Department of Defense health care beneficiaries in the national capital area. This study was a follow-up of a previous research of African-American men's PC screening practices. In the previous study, 85% of African-American men screened for PC and the determinants of screening were men's perceived "benefits" of PC testing, age, and education. This follow-up study was conducted on 234 men age 52 years and over regardless of ethnicity using a questionnaire and convenience sampling similar to the prior study. Results showed 96% screened for PC; no statistical differences in PC screening and ethnicity; and men's perceived "self-efficacy" and "benefits" were predictors of PC screening. More men screened for PC when advised by their health care providers and 94% of men stated "trust" in health care providers, indicating the importance of a "trusting-informative health care milieu" for men's self-efficacy to screen for PC.