Investigation on knowledge, attitude and practices of Namibian men regarding prostate cancer among men attending Intermediate Hospital Oshakati, Namibia, 2016

Introduction : early diagnosis of cancer is critical for ensuring treatment success. Important components of early diagnosis include education (knowledge) and encouragement of the target population to participate in early diagnostic procedures. Statistics from Cancer Namibia (CAN) showed that 221 and 271 prostate cancer (PCa) cases were reported in 2013 and 2014. This study examined knowledge, attitudes and practices of men regarding PCa among men attending Intermediate Hospital Oshakati (IHO). Methods : we conducted a cross-sectional study among men aged between 18-72 years attending IHO Outpatients Department. We enrolled 384 participants using systematic random sampling. Frequencies and proportions were generated. Bivariate analysis was performed to determine factors affecting the level of knowledge and attitudes; factors found to be significant were further analyzed using multivariate logistic regression to generate Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence intervals. Results : the mean age for the participants was 30.4, ± 12.5 SD and range 18-72. Majority 219 (57%) of participants lived in urban areas while 271 (70.6%) were single. The most common source of information was through the radio. Overall, 269 (70.1%) participants had inadequate knowledge, positive attitudes 331 (86.2%) and low screening uptake 16/ 76 (21%) among eligible men (>45years). Being married or involved in a co-habitation (OR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.07-2.79), having tertiary education (OR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.43-5.94), being a civil servant (OR=4.07, 95% C.I = 1.22-13.53) and earning more than US$ 200 per month (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.24-3.19) were found to be associated with adequate knowledge at the bi-variate level. Tertiary education (AOR=2.24, 95% CI=1.06-4.73) was the independent risk factor for adequate knowledge after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion : there was generally poor knowledge and low level of screening among the participants. Advance level of education (tertiary education) was the major predictor of adequate knowledge. There is a need for exploration of new platforms for creating awareness on PCa in the community and inclusion of PCa screening in routine medical check-ups for early diagnosis in eligible men.