Knowledge, Perceptions and Practices about Prostate Cancer Screening among Men in the Ada East District of the Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Abstract

Background: Prostate Cancer (PC) has made a significant health impact globally and Ghana is no exception. The incidence and mortality of prostate cancer worldwide correlate with increasing age, with the average age at the time of diagnosis being 66 years. For African-American men, the incidence rates are higher than White men, with 158.3 new cases diagnosed per 100,000 men and their mortality is approximately twice as White men. The reasons for this disparity have been hypothesized to be difference in social, environmental and genetic factors. Unfortunately, it is often detected late in the Ghanaian population due to lack of voluntary screening. This study assessed the Knowledge, practices and perceptions of PC screening uptake among men in the Ada East District in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Method: This study was a quantitative research using a community-based cross-sectional study design. It employed the use of questionnaires to estimate the extent of attitudes and perceptions of men aged 40 years and above in the Ada East District from366 respondents using multistage sampling technique. Using statistical procedures in mathematical language, this study allowed a one-time assessment of health problems for interpretation. Chi-square test statistics were used to estimated the association between the knowledge, practices and perception (dependent variables) and socio-demographic characteristics(independent variables) of multiple binary logistic regression model was used to measure the strength of association between the variables at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: The majority (79.3%) of respondents were of the Ga-Dangme ethnic group, were in the 40-49 years age bracket(44.4%) and married (70.8%). Except for age group, marital status, ethnicity and number of biological children, all socio-demographic characteristics were significantly associated with PC screening uptake(p<0.05) but there was no significant association between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge level on PC(P>0.05). Only religious affiliation and family history of PC were significantly associated with perceptions on PC. Conclusion: This study showed that most of the Ada East District were aware of prostate cancer. This however, did not translate into practice. Public Health interventions should have MOH liaise with the NHIS to roll out a free PC screening and prevention program in the District Hospitals to ensure early screening.