Promoting informed decision making: evaluating a community-based prostate health awareness program.

Background: For health educators, the controversy surrounding routine prostate cancer screening provides curriculum development and delivery challenges. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a community-based prostate health awareness program.

Methods: Using a pretest-posttest design, participants were recruited from community-based organizations to assess the effectiveness of the program in the areas of knowledge gain, short-term intentions, and changing prostate health behaviors.

Results: Many of the participants reported having been tested for prostate cancer, yet there was a lower than expected pretest knowledge base. There were significant increases in knowledge on the posttest and some impact on short-term intentions and behavior.

Discussion: A community-based prostate health awareness program prior to the patient-physician encounter can assist health-care professionals in the education process and give men the tools to make an informed decision.