Toward a model of prostate cancer information seeking: identifying salient behavioral and normative beliefs among African American men

Public health actions to improve African American men's ability to make informed decisions about participation in prostate cancer control activities have a greater likelihood of success when they are theory driven and informed by members of the target population. This article reports on formative research to evaluate the usefulness of the theory of reasoned action as a model to explain and predict prostate cancer information-seeking behavior by African American men. Fifty-two men participated in eight focus group interviews. Positive behavioral beliefs for obtaining prostate cancer information from physicians included increasing awareness of and obtaining accurate information about the disease, early detection and screening, and treatment. Negative beliefs included fear, distrust, and inconvenience. Significant others, peers, siblings, and religious leaders were identified as individuals who could influence this behavior. These findings provide additional insight into ways to reach and intervene with African American men to influence this important cancer control activity.