Barriers and Facilitators of Prostate Cancer Screening Among Filipino Men in Hawaii

Abstract

Purpose/Objectives To examine perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs regarding barriers and facilitators to prostate cancer screening, and to identify potential interventional strategies to promote prostate cancer screening among Filipino men in Hawai’i. Design Exploratory, qualitative. Setting Community-based settings in Hawai’i. Sample 20 Filipino men, 40 years old or older Methods Focus group discussions were tape-recorded, transcribed, and content analysis performed for emergent themes. Main Research Variables Perceptions regarding prostate cancer, barriers and facilitators to prostate cancer screening, and culturally-relevant interventional strategies Findings Perceptions of prostate cancer included fatalism, hopelessness, and dread. Misconceptions regarding causes of prostate cancer, such as frequency of sexual activity, were identified. Barriers to prostate cancer screening included lack of awareness of the need for screening, reticence to seek healthcare when feeling well, fear of cancer diagnosis, financial issues, time constraints, and embarrassment. Presence of urinary symptoms, personal experience with family or friend who had cancer, and receiving recommendations from a healthcare provider regarding screening were facilitators for screening. Potential culturally-relevant interventional strategies to promote prostate cancer screening included screening recommendations from health professionals and cancer survivors; radio/television commercials and newspaper articles targeted to the Filipino community; informational brochures in Tagalog, Ilocano and/or English; and interactive, educational forums facilitated by Filipino multilingual, male healthcare professionals. Conclusions Culturally-relevant interventions are needed that address barriers to prostate cancer screening participation and misconceptions about causes of prostate cancer. Implications for Nursing Findings provide a foundation for future research regarding development of interventional strategies to promote prostate cancer screening among Filipino men.

A Survey of Knowledge About and Perceived Barriers to Prostate Cancer Screening Among Medical Staff

“…Participants in the study mentioned a lack of knowledge of where to go and how to do screening tests, a lack of emphasis on the screening tests, and a fear of thinking about the disease as the most common barriers to the prostate cancer screening. These results are consistent with the results of some previous studies (11,13,41).…”

“…These include studies of Filipino men living in Hawaii, AfricanAmerican men, and men living in the Caribbean; the results indicate low participation of these groups in screening programs, even though their incidence of prostate cancer is relatively high (11,18). In addition, men with few symptoms are usually not willing to see a doctor, and see the doctor only when their condition becomes severe (19).…”

“…The detection phase is an important factor in the expression of the cancer-related survival rate. The five-year survival rate in men with localized (i.e., without metastasis) prostate cancer is almost 100%, while the rate among men with prostate cancer that has metastasized to other parts of the body is only 31% (11). certainly lead to increased diagnosis in the early stages, and therefore to treatment (12).…”

“…The nature of prostate cancer is such that as long as there is no local progression or metastasis to other parts of the body, it usually does not cause any symptoms (10), and on presentation of symptoms, the disease usually has run its course. Therefore, early detection of the disease in its early stages can be an effective measure in reducing its mortality rate in asymptomatic men (11,12), and creates an opportunity to use effective and inexpensive treatment methods (13). The detection phase is an important factor in the expression of the cancer-related survival rate.…”

Prostate Cancer Screening Among Asian American and Pacific Island Men

“…This lack of knowledge about prostate cancer or resources may be a reflection of lower level of education, limited English proficiency, and recent immigration to the United States. 8,10 Cultural and Linguistic Barriers Cultural factors (e.g., fatalistic attitudes toward cancer, fear of prostate screening results, traditional beliefs, traditional gender roles in Asian society) also serve as hindrances for some AAPI men to access prostate cancer screening. Some AAPI men hold fatalistic attitudes toward cancer, equating cancer diagnosis with death sentence.…”