Knowledge and Awareness of Prostate Cancer Among the General Public in Burkina Faso

Abstract

The lack of awareness about prostate cancer and other prostate-related issues has been identified as a cause of low survival and higher mortality rates among black men. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge of prostate cancer (PCa) among men in the general public, in the main city of Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou). The targeted population was black African men aged 25 years and older, with no history of PCa. Six hundred men who provided informed consent were invited to participate in a PCa knowledge questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. The questionnaire was composed of multiple-choice items designed to ascertain participant’s characteristics (age, profession, and level of education) and knowledge of prostate and PCa (risk factors, diagnosis tests, and curative treatments). The average age of men was 42 (min 25, max 80), and 63 % reported primary school or less. Sixty-two percent admitted they did not know the terms prostate and prostate cancer. Only two respondents (0.3 %) cited race as a risk factor, when 90 (15 %) perceived too much sexual activity as a risk factor. A majority of respondents (70.3 %, n = 422) stated that they were unaware of any diagnosis tests for PCa. The level of education was strongly correlated with PCa knowledge (p < 0.001). Men in the city of Ouagadougou have poor knowledge of PCa. Educational interventions should target the entire populations to improve self-informed decision about early diagnostic possibilities of PCa.