Increasing prostate cancer screening in African American men with peer-educator and client-navigator interventions.

BACKGROUND: Few African American men participate in prostate cancer screening, although they have higher prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates. METHODS: This study documents the benefits of two educational methods; the peer-educator method and the client-navigator method, in increasing their participation. RESULTS: Sixty-one percent of the 1,211 African American men who received an educational program on prostate cancer participated in the free prostate cancer screening. Men who received the peer-educator method intervention, which included a testimony in support of prostate cancer screening given by an African American man, were more likely to participate, p = 0.04, than were men who received a standard educational program. Also, men who received the client-navigator method intervention, which included 1) a phone call aimed at overcoming screening barriers and 2) reminders for screening, were more likely to participate, p = 0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: More African American men will participate in prostate cancer screening following the peer-education and client-navigator interventions.