Abstract:
Introduction: prostate cancer is categorized as the
most common cancer in males in 2020 in Kenya at
21.9%. The major challenge with prostate cancer in
Low and Middle-Income Countries is the
presentation of patients with advanced disease.
The rate of prostate cancer screening is low across
African countries which has been associated with
low knowledge and fatalistic beliefs. The study
aimed to assess the effectiveness of community-
based health education on prostate cancer
fatalism. Methods: the study design was quasi-
experimental. The study was conducted in Kiambu
County in the Gatundu North and Kiambu sub-
counties in Kenya. A total of 288 men were selected
per arm of the study using stratified random
sampling. Data were collected using a structured
questionnaire at baseline and post-intervention.
The intervention was health education through
home visits by a Community Health Worker.
Results: in the study, fatalism was associated with
prostate cancer screening (P<0.05). There was a
significant decrease in prostate cancer fatalism for
the attributes of pessimism, pre-determination, and
death inevitability in the intervention arm post-
intervention. In contrast, in the control arm, there
was no significant decrease. Post-intervention, the
proportion of respondents with a high perception of
fatalism decreased from 51% to 23.6% (P<0.05) in
the intervention arm. In contrast, in the control arm,
there was no significant decrease. Conclusion:
prostate cancer fatalism significantly influenced
prostate cancer screening. Community-based
health education significantly reduced pessimism,
death inevitability, and pre-destination beliefs
about prostate cancer. Tailored culturally relevant
health education is an effective strategy to address
fatalistic beliefs.
