Quality of Life Among Black Prostate Cancer Survivors: An Integrative Review

Abstract

The purpose of this integrative review was to explore the impact of prostate cancer (PCa) on the quality of life (QoL) and factors that contribute to the QoL for Black men with PCa. Prostate is recognized as the prevalent cancer among men in the United States. Compared to other men, Black men are diagnosed more frequently and with more advanced stages of PCa. Black men also experience disproportionately higher morbidity and mortality rates of PCa, among all racial and ethnic groups. The initial diagnosis of PCa is often associated with a barrage of concerns for one’s well-being including one’s QoL. As a result, men must contend with various psychosocial and physiological symptoms of PCa survivorship. Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative review method was utilized to examine empirical articles from the electronic databases of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, PubMed, Project Muse, and Google Scholar. The time frame for the literature was January 2005 to December 2016. A synthesis of the literature yielded 18 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the integrative review. A conceptual framework that examined QoL among cancer survivors identified four domains that measured the QoL among Black PCa survivors: (a) physical; (b) psychological; (c) social; and (d) spiritual well-being. Social well-being was the dominant factor among the studies in the review, followed by physical, psychological, and spiritual. Results indicate the need for additional studies that examine the factors impacting the QoL among Black PCa survivors, using a theoretical framework so as to develop culturally appropriate interventions for Black PCa survivors.

Faith as a Mechanism for Health Promotion among Rural African American Prostate Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Examination

“…A case in point, cancer survivorship is understudied within the broader research literature even though “There are 14.5 million cancer survivors living in the United States, with most commonly diagnosed cancers of the breast (41%) in women and PrCA (43%) in men” [ 22 ] (p. 2). Equally important, a study conducted by Dickey and Ogunsanya (2018) found “that results indicate the need for additional studies that examine the factors impacting the quality of life (QoL) among Black PrCA survivors, using a theoretical framework so as to develop culturally appropriate interventions for Black PrCA survivors” [ 23 ] (p. 1648).…”

Religious Coping and Quality of Life Among Black and White Men With Prostate Cancer

“… 8 , 10 - 17 Research examining the impact of prostate cancer on quality of life has been robust; however, very few studies have produced data regarding the quality of life for African American patients with prostate cancer or survivors. 18 The dearth of research in this area is puzzling given that black men with prostate cancer experience poorer physiological and psychological health than their white peers. 17 - 19 Reducing disparities in these outcomes may be linked to the enhancement of quality of life during and after prostate cancer treatment.…”

“… 18 The dearth of research in this area is puzzling given that black men with prostate cancer experience poorer physiological and psychological health than their white peers. 17 - 19 Reducing disparities in these outcomes may be linked to the enhancement of quality of life during and after prostate cancer treatment.…”

“…This population has been oppressed, marginalized, and criminalized like no other group in US history 20 , 21 and subject to high levels of social and psychological stress from unfavorable social and economic circumstances emerging from institutional discrimination and unfair treatment. 22 - 26 Stress has only been recently implicated as a major determinant of black men’s health 27 - 30 and a few studies 13 , 18 , 26 , 31 have highlighted the need for research examining how this group manages or copes with stressors like prostate cancer or its treatment.…”

“…35 , 38 Numerous studies have examined the impact of religious coping on variety a of health outcomes over the past 3 decades 39 - 41 ; yet, remarkably few examine the degree to which faith-oriented resources can reduce racial disparities in outcomes associated with prostate cancer and other chronic diseases. 18 , 42 The purpose of this study is to assess the associations between religious coping and quality of life among black and white men with prostate cancer.…”