Abstract PO-070: Psychometric properties and analysis of the masculinity barriers to medical care scale among African American, Indigenous, and White men

Abstract

Abstract Background: The Masculinity Barriers to Medical Care (MBMC) scale was developed to assess masculinity barriers to medical care relative to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening uptake among non-Hispanic (NH) African-American/Black men. Objective: This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the MBMC Scale while applying it to different racial groups. Methods: Participants self-identifying as non-Hispanic (NH) Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (Indigenous), or NH White completed the web-based Masculinity Barriers to Medical Care, Psychosocial Factors, and CRC Screening Uptake & Intention Survey. We conducted exploratory factor analysis on a sample of 254 men and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) on a separate sample of 637 men nationally representative by age and state of residence. Results: After assessment of psychometric properties, the MBMC scale was reduced from 24 to 18 items and from six to four subscales. Black men's mean scores were lowest on three of four subscales (Being Strong, Negative and Positive Attitudes) and highest on the Acknowledging Emotions subscale. Compared with both Indigenous and White men, Black men had significantly lower Negative Attitudes subscale scores and significantly higher scores on the Acknowledging Emotions subscale. Compared with both Indigenous and Black men, White men had significantly higher Being Strong and Positive Attitudes subscales scores. Conclusions: This study expands on previous research indicating that, among racialized populations of men, endorsement of traditional masculine ideologies influences engagement in preventive health behaviors. Our scale can be tailored to assess attitudes to screening for other cancers and diseases that disproportionately burden medically underserved populations. Citation Format: Ellen Brooks, Roger Figueroa, Ethan Petersen, Pamela Campanelli, Carson Kennedy, Roland J. Thorpe, Jr., Ronald F. Levant, Charles R. Rogers. Psychometric properties and analysis of the masculinity barriers to medical care scale among African American, Indigenous, and White men [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-070.