PEP Talk: Prostate Education Program, “Cutting Through the Uncertainty of Prostate Cancer for Black Men Using Decision Support Instruments in Barbershops”

The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using decision support instruments (DSI) to assist African-American (AA) men in making a prostate cancer (CaP) screening decision. This nonrandomized pretest-posttest comparison study assessed two DSI that were either culturally tailored or culturally nonspecific. CaP knowledge, intention to screen, and preferences were assessed before and after exposure to DSI using a convenience sample of 120 AA men aged 40 years and above. Participants interested in screening were referred to healthcare providers through a community-based patient navigator to obtain prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. We followed up 3 months after to determine if participants screened for CaP. CaP knowledge increased following exposure to both DSI in equivalent proportions. While similar proportions of men ultimately intended on having a PSA test following both DSI, bivariate analysis revealed that the culturally tailored DSI demonstrated a statistically significant increase in intention to screen. Participants’ degree of certainty in their decision-making process with regard to CaP screening increased following the culturally tailored DSI (p < .001). The majority of participants planned on discussing CaP screening with a healthcare provider upon completion of the study. Barbershop-based health education can change the knowledge, preferences, intentions, and behaviors of this at-risk population. At 3 months follow-up, half (n = 58) of the participants underwent PSA testing, which led to the diagnosis of CaP in one participant. Community-led interventions for CaP, such as cluster-randomized designs in barbershops, are needed to better assess the efficacy of DSI in community settings.