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Factors Influencing Prostate Cancer Healthcare Practices in Barbados, West Indies

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Abstract

Although some investigations have assessed the barriers to prostate cancer screening among African-American men, limited data are available regarding such practices in similar African-origin populations. Key informant interviews were employed to obtain a range of perspectives pertaining to the healthcare practices of African-Barbadian men and to identify factors that obstruct prostate cancer screening in Barbados, West Indies. Gender-related perceptions were identified as a major obstruction to prostate cancer screening. Additionally, concerns about privacy, taking time away from work and mistrust of the medical community were reported as themes impeding the healthcare-seeking behaviors of African-Barbadian men. System-level barriers included limitations in access to care and ineffective dissemination of health information. Findings from this study suggest that targeted efforts aimed at modifying socio-cultural perceptions may assist in improving prostate cancer screening and general healthcare-seeking practices of African-Barbadian men and others who share similar beliefs.

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to the Barry Coller Fund, Stony Brook School of Medicine; Chronic Disease Research Centre, University of the West Indies; Word on the Street Creating a Multigenerational Prostate Cancer Dialogue Project, Stony Brook School of Medicine (Grant # 1R21CA119976); and all key informants for sharing their time and perspectives. The PCBP project was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Human Genome Research Institute (contract N01HG25487) and the National Cancer Institute (grant R01CA114379).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8036, USA

    Patricia Ng, Elinor R. Schoenfeld, Anselm Hennis, Suh-Yuh Wu, M. Cristina Leske & Barbara Nemesure

  2. Chronic Disease Research Centre, University of the West Indies and Ministry of Health, Barbados, West Indies

    Anselm Hennis

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  1. Patricia Ng
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  2. Elinor R. Schoenfeld
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  3. Anselm Hennis
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  4. Suh-Yuh Wu
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  5. M. Cristina Leske
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  6. Barbara Nemesure
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Correspondence to Barbara Nemesure.

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Ng, P., Schoenfeld, E.R., Hennis, A. et al. Factors Influencing Prostate Cancer Healthcare Practices in Barbados, West Indies. J Immigrant Minority Health 15, 653–660 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9654-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9654-y

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