Educating African American men about prostate cancer: the barbershop program

American Journal of Health Studies, Fall, 2004 by Luvenia W. Cowart, Betty Brown, Diana J. Biro

A NEW PARTNERSHIP: THE PROSTATE CANCER EDUCATION COUNCIL OF CENTRAL NEW YORK

In upstate New York, the need to heighten public awareness about prostate cancer in the African American community was recognized, and a regional coalition was built to develop programs specifically targeted to this population. Under the leadership of Dr. Luvenia Cowart and Syracuse University's College of Nursing, the Prostate Cancer Education Council of Central New York was formed in 1999 to help reduce prostate cancer morbidity and mortality among African American males. Its mission is to educate these men about the disease and to promote prostate health through information about prevention, early detection and treatment options.

The New York State Department of Health's Office of Minority Health and the National Kidney Foundation of Central New York sponsored a planning grant to help launch the Council, which represents a partnership among academic, community, and healthcare professionals. Membership consists of over three dozen individuals who are committed to relieving the burden of prostate cancer among African Americans, including physicians, nurses, social workers, healthcare providers, community leaders, health policy analysts, educators, and prostate cancer survivors. The Council serves as a catalyst in the delivery of accessible, cost effective and culturally competent prostate health care for African American males across the life span.

Initially, the Council developed a Blueprint for Action to guide its program planning. This report identified strategies and interventions to promote professional and public awareness of prostate cancer in African American men, to produce and evaluate appropriate, culturally relevant educational materials, and to reduce barriers to early screening and detection of prostate cancer for these men. It also outlined ways to foster effective communication throughout the community, empower black men to feel comfortable seeking medical help, and assist with better communication among these men, their healthcare professionals and their families.

With Dr. Cowart serving as Executive Director, the Council has marshaled resources and developed several health-promotion programs to reduce prostate cancer incidence and deaths in African American men in our region. The Barbershop Education project, directed by Cowart and retired oncology nurse Betty Brown, is one of its most successful initiatives to date.

THE BARBERSHOP PROGRAM: CULTURALLY COMPETENT EDUCATION IN A NON-TRADITIONAL SETTING

OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES

In early 2000, planning commenced for a special project to promote public awareness about prostate cancer among African American men, and to educate those ages 40 and above concerning prostate cancer, its risk factors, and the importance of screening and early detection programs. The Barbershop Education Program for Prostate Cancer was derived from the following Blueprint for Action recommendation:

   Educational materials that provide African
   American men with culturally relevant information
   about symptom recognition, screening
   guidelines and disease prevention, must
   be developed and circulated widely within
   community settings frequented by the target
   population to decrease the knowledge deficit,
   and to allay fears about the prognosis of
   prostate cancer.