Rural Population and Prostate Cancer Screening Exercise in Southeast Nigeria: Implication to Public Health Policy and Sustainable Development

OBJECTIVE Awareness and screening exercise on prostate cancer health related issues among the rural population is still interfered with by the socio-cultural and economic challenges affecting the developing nations. This is yet to be empirically explored in some regions such as southeast Nigeria. The paper explored prostate cancer awareness and screening exercise among some 1080 men (30+) in rural southeast Nigeria. METHODS The study was guided by Health Belief Model, while survey design and quantitative data gathering techniques were deployed in collecting data from the respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized in probing the prevalence of awareness about prostate cancer/screening practices, and the relationship of these and other variables. RESULTS According to the findings, there is a poor awareness about prostate cancer and related symptoms (31.2%) and poor regular prostate cancer screening practices among the respondents (11%). Prostate cancer awareness is significantly correlated with age (p<0.000, b=-0.618, Exp(B)=0.539), marital status (p<0.000, b=1.239, Exp(B)=3.452), occupation (p<0.000, b=-2.474, Exp(B)=0.084), education (p<0.000, b=1.239, Exp(B)=3.452), income (p<0.002, b=-0.476, Exp(B)=0.621) and having seen someone living with prostate cancer (p<0.000, b=3.927, Exp(B)=50.742). Regular screening exercise is predicted by age (p<0.000, b=0.054, t=4.706), marital status (p<0.000, b=-0.110, t=-5.309), education (p<0.02, b=0.047, t=2.557), occupation (p<0.000, b=0.090, t=4.484) and source of prostate cancer awareness (p<0.02, b=0.052, t=2.366). CONCLUSION The study concludes that prostate cancer screening practices are heavily dependent on the socioeconomic realities among the population.