KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTION, AND UPTAKE OF PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING AMONG MALE EMPLOYEES OF A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA.

ABSTRACT Background: Prostate cancer is the second most commonly occurring cancer in men worldwide and is the fourth most common cancer overall. Over the years, the incidence of prostate cancer has consistently increased due to lifestyle changes over the decades such as a change in diet to include more fats, increased body mass index and less physical exercise. However, over the years through the contribution of technology in the form of prostate cancer screening, mortality from prostate cancer has decreased significantly especially in developed countries. This has been achieved through the use of clinical methods such as digital rectal exam (DRE) and screening tests such as the measure of prostate specific antigen (PSA) for early detection of prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, perception and uptake of screening practices among male employees of a private university in Ogun State Nigeria. Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 211 participants, using convenience method to select the participants. Only male employees who had been employed for at least one month in the institution were recruited for the study. Data was collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and presented as tables. P < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Results: Most (62.1%) of the respondents were in the age bracket 51-60 years. Mean age was 55.90±7.80 years. Majority (99.1%) were married. Knowledge of prostate cancer screening was good with an average score of 58.8%. Perception of prostate cancer screening was good with 53.1%. Uptake of prostate cancer screening was good with 58.8%. The major factor preventing 12 prostate cancer screening among the respondents was ignorance about the procedure (34.1%). The major factor encouraging the uptake of prostate cancer screening amongst the respondents was media awareness (49.8%). Perception of prostate cancer screening was statistically associated with occupation (P=0.044) Conclusion/Recommendation: Occupation was associated with good perception of prostate cancer screening. Some of the reasons given for not screening for prostate cancer included not knowing about the procedures involved and a lack of interest. This study recommends continuous health education about prostate cancer, recommendation of the PSA test to men above the age of 40 regardless of the presence of symptoms, mass media jingles to create awareness of the symptoms and risk factors and ensuring the availability of the resources to make these recommendations possible. Keywords: Prostate cancer, Knowledge, Perception, Uptake, Screening, Health, Private University.