Racial disparities in health among African American men in the United States are appalling. African American men have the highest mortality and incidence rates from colorectal cancer compared with all other ethnic, racial, and gender groups. Juxtaposed to their white counterparts, African American men have colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates 27% and 52% higher, respectively. Colorectal cancer is a treatable and preventable condition when detected early, yet the intricate factors influencing African American men's intention to screen remain understudied. Employing a nonexperimental, online survey research design at the Minnesota State Fair, the purpose of this study was to explore whether male role norms, knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions influence intention to screen for colorectal cancer among 297 African American men. As hypothesized, these Minnesota men (ages 18 to 65) lacked appropriate colorectal cancer knowledge: only 33% of the sample received a "passing" knowledge score (85% or better). In a logistic regression model, the three factors significantly associated with a higher probability of obtaining colorectal cancer screening were age, perceived barriers, and perceived subjective norms. Findings from this study provide a solid basis for informing health policy and designing health promotion and early-intervention colorectal cancer prevention programs that are responsive to the needs of African American men in Minnesota and beyond.
Keywords: colorectal neoplasms; early detection of cancer; men’s health; minority health; prevention and control.