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Religion impacts decision on Prostate Cancer
Screening in African-American Men
Newswise — African-American men are more
likely to have had a digital rectal exam in
the past year to screen for prostate cancer
if they engage in religious behaviors,
according to a University of Alabama at
Birmingham (UAB) study published in the
American Journal of Men’s Health.
Study co-author Theresa A. Wynn, Ph.D.,
program director in the UAB Division of
Preventive Medicine, and colleagues found
that African-American men who engaged in
religious behavior, but do not necessarily
hold religious beliefs, were nearly two
times more likely to have had a digital
rectal exam (DRE) than African-American men
who do not engage in religious behavior.
“The results of this study clearly
demonstrate the important role religious
involvement plays with Southeastern
African-American men in their prostate
cancer-screening practices,” Wynn said.
“This is important to understand because
African-American men are more likely to
develop prostate cancer, and twice as likely
to die from the disease, when compared to
other men.”
A total of 199 African-American men ages 40
to 92, and living in Alabama, participated
in the study.
The researchers looked at the role religious
behaviors and beliefs played in a man’s
decision to be screened for prostate cancer.
Religious behavior was defined as
participation in religious services and
activities.
Religious beliefs were defined as close
personal relationship with a higher power
(e.g., God), and prayer.
Men who reported engaging in religious
behavior were found to be 1.7 times more
likely to have had a DRE in the past 12
months.
Men who reported engaging in both religious
beliefs and behaviors were 2.12 times more
likely than other men to report thinking
about having a DRE within the next six
months.
And, men who engaged religious behaviors
were 7.10 times more likely than those who
did not engage in religious behaviors to
report having an appointment for a DRE
within the next six months.
“Neither religious behavior nor beliefs were
significant predictors of whether or not
African-American men had or intended to get
a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test,”
Wynn said.
“More
studies need to be done to clarify the role
that religious beliefs and behaviors play in
the lives of African-American men and why
religious behaviors and beliefs aren’t
predictors for PSA tests as they are for
DREs.”
Wynn said previous studies on this topic
showed that barriers to prostate-cancer
screening for African-American men include
limited prostate cancer knowledge, lack of
access to screening, embarrassment, fear of
diagnosis, distrust of medical professionals
and hesitancy to discuss sex-related health
issues.
The findings of this study, she said, have
the potential to inform better design of
cancer communication interventions for
African-American men.
About the UAB Division of Preventive
Medicine
The UAB Division of Preventive Medicine is
dedicated to medicine and the health of the
public through research, teaching and
dissemination and translation of knowledge
for improved health outcomes.
From its inception in 1967, the division has
played a key role in the many groundbreaking
trials contributing to the knowledge of
medical and health systems, behavioral
aspects of disease, epidemiology,
prevention, control, and disease outcomes.
Special concern for health disparities and a
desire to promote women’s health guide many
division activities. A research-oriented
division, it also has active programs for
the training of post doctoral fellows and
clinical scholars.
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