Knowledge about and attitude towards prostate cancer and compliance to prostate cancer screening test among high risk male faculty members of Central Philippine University

Abstract

This is a descriptive relational study on the knowledge about and attitude towards prostate cancer and compliance to prostate cancer screening test among high risk faculty members of Central Philippine University. A one-shot survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire which was answered by 45 identified high-risk (40 years old and over) male faculty members to determine their personal characteristics, level of knowledge about and attitude towards prostate cancer, compliance to prostate cancer screening test and the relationship between each variable.

The study results showed that about one-half of the respondents were 40 to 49 years old, married, and master’s degree holder; As a whole, the respondents had average level of knowledge about prostate cancer. On the average, they had good attitude towards prostate cancer, with the majority having a good outlook towards prostate cancer. A big majority of them, however, did not comply with prostate cancer screening test, thereby placing them in greater risk of having the disease and discovering it at its late and incurable stage.

The data further reveal that the level of knowledge about prostate cancer, attitude towards it and their compliance to prostate cancer screening test do not significantly vary according to personal characteristics namely: age, civil status and educational attainment. Regardless of the level of knowledge of respondents about prostate cancer, their attitude towards prostate cancer remains unaffected. Level of knowledge about prostate cancer is not also significantly related to compliance to prostate cancer screening test. The attitude of respondents towards prostate cancer does not predict compliance to prostate cancer screening test. Compliance to prostate cancer screening test, therefore, is not determined by the teachers’ level of knowledge about prostate cancer even when their attitude towards the disease is controlled. Continued efforts to educate and increase prostate cancer screening test awareness are still needed among high risk male faculty members.