Digital rectal examinations and prostate cancer screening: attitudes of African American men.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between attitudes toward digital rectal examination (DRE) and participation in prostate cancer screening among African American men.

DESIGN

Survey.

SETTING

Prostate cancer screenings with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test held at churches with African American members in Detroit, MI.

SAMPLE

613 African American men between the ages of 40 and 70.

METHODS

Self-administered, structured questionnaires examining attitudes toward DRE, past experiences with DRE, and fear of cancer.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Willingness to undergo DRE.

FINDINGS

The majority of men who were screened had positive attitudes about DRE. Fear of cancer was associated with negative attitudes toward DRE. DREs were not a deterrent among men who attended the screenings.

CONCLUSION

Negative attitudes toward DRE do not necessarily deter African American men from participating in prostate cancer screenings.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Prostate cancer screening programs should attempt to use both DRE and PSA. More reliable prostate cancer indicators are obtained by incorporating DRE with PSA tests.