Factors influencing southern Taiwanese men's acceptance of prostate-specific antigen screening

Abstract

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is a common screening among adult men for early awareness of prostate cancer. Although prostate cancer is the seventh most common cause of death from cancer in males in Taiwan in 2008, this testing is still unpopular in Taiwanese society. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of acceptance of PSA testing and related factors in Taiwanese males. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample population was recruited from two counties in southern Taiwan. Three hundred and thirty male participants completed the structured questionnaire. The following outcomes were studied: patient profiles, knowledge of PSA screening, acceptance of PSA testing, the reasons for acceptance of PSA testing and history of benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH). The results indicated that 29·4% of the respondents reported having had a PSA test. The logistic regression model showed age, having heard of PSA testing, BPH history and annual income to be the statistically significant factors. The odds of accepting PSA testing increased 9·56-fold in men with a history of BPH compared with men without a BPH history. Acceptance of PSA testing increased 7·98-fold in patients who had heard of PSA testing compared with those participants who had not heard of PSA testing. The odds of accepting PSA testing increased 4·43-fold in patients aged 56–65 years, 8·14-fold in those aged 66–75 years and 11·20-fold in those older than 76 years when compared with men younger than 55 years. This study shows that male acceptance of PSA testing is still not popular in Taiwan. The results can help health care providers to take the responsibility for seeking appropriate strategies to improve the rate of acceptance of PSA testing.