Title : Knowledge, attitude and practice of prostate cancer screening among male residents in irrua community, esan central LGA, edo state

Background: Prostate cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality among Nigerian men, yet screening uptake remains suboptimal in many communities. Understanding the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding prostate cancer screening is essential for designing effective public health interventions.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 334 consenting male adults selected through multi-stage sampling. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of prostate cancer risk factors and symptoms, awareness of screening methods, attitudes, and screening practices. Data were analysed using SPSS version 21 with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, with significance set at p <0.05. Ethical Approval no. Is NHREC 12/06/2013

Results: The mean age of respondents was 55.8 ± 9.2 years. Awareness of prostate cancer was high (76.0%), with health workers (23.4%) and radio/television (20.1%) as primary information sources. However, overall knowledge was poor in 79.0% of respondents. While 74.0% correctly identified frequent urination as a symptom, knowledge of risk factors like high-fat diet (43.4%) and smoking (40.4%) was lower. Only 36.5% identified PSA testing as a screening method, and 41.9% knew no screening method. Attitude was predominantly positive (61.7%), with 76.0% agreeing they were at risk and 82.0% acknowledging screening enables early detection. Nevertheless, screening uptake was low at 30.8%. Among those screened, doctor’s advice was the main motivating factor (52.4%). Major barriers to screening included lack of awareness (29.4%), absence of symptoms (20.8%), and fear of diagnosis (20.3%). No socio-demographic variable, knowledge level, or attitude grade showed statistically significant association with screening uptake (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Despite high awareness and predominantly positive attitudes, prostate cancer screening uptake remains low in Irrua community, demonstrating a significant knowledge-practice gap. Fear, cost, cultural beliefs, and limited access constitute major barriers. Public health interventions must move beyond awareness to addressing structural, cultural, and psychological barriers through integrated screening services, subsidised costs, and targeted community engagement.

Mr. Michael Erhayanmen is a budding global health researcher with focus in Non-infectious diseases. He holds a First Class Hons in Microbiology and currently pursues an MBBS at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. Mr. Michael works with the Nigerian Cancer Society, End Cervical Cancer Nigeria Initiative and the Cancer Advocacy Nigeria leading initiatives and contributing to cancer advocacy in Nigeria and Africa. He is currently the Focal Person for the Cancer Advocacy Nigeria Patient Navigation Program (CANCAD PatNa) in Nigeria.