Attitudes and beliefs about prostate cancer and screening among rural African American men.

PURPOSE: The research study purpose was to describe the personal attitudes and beliefs of rural African American men related to prostate cancer and screening.

PROCEDURE: Audio taped interviews were conducted with nine (9) African American men living in rural communities of West Central Alabama.

FINDINGS: Six common themes were found among the rural African American men participants. The themes identified were: (1) Disparity; (2) Lack of understanding; (3) Tradition; (4) Mistrust in the system; (5) Fear; and (6) Threat to manhood.

CONCLUSIONS: The results support the general significance of understanding the views of the target population and specifically its culture and offer opportunities for adapting health promotion to the population.