Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards prostate cancer screening amongst men in Zambezi region, Namibia
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Date
2025
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University of Namibia
Abstract
Prostate cancer is a major health issue worldwide, including the Zambezi Region of
Namibia. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices
regarding screening of PCa among men in Zambezi region. A quantitative cross-sectional
descriptive approach was used, with 391 men from all six constituencies of the Zambezi
Region. Respondents were selected through a multi-stage sampling method, combining
stratified random and cluster sampling. Data were collected via a self-administered
questionnaire. The analysis employed descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and Chi
square tests to examine the prevalence of various knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP)
indicators. On the other hand, inferential statistics was used to identify correlations
between KAP and screening behaviors.
The results showed that respondents had moderate knowledge of prostate cancer and a
generally positive attitude (49.9%) toward screening. However, this knowledge and
attitude did not appear to influence actual screening practices, which were low at just
4.1%. Statistical analysis (p-values of 0.927 of knowledge and 0.692 of attitudes) revealed
no significant differences in knowledge and attitudes across constituencies. Additionally,
the analysis showed no relationship between knowledge and screening practices and
between attitudes and practices. However, there was a significant relationship between
knowledge and attitudes. Education level was found to be significantly associated with
knowledge, while other demographic factors showed no significant correlation. The study
concluded that knowledge and attitudes alone do not significantly impact screening
practices. It recommends further research into psychological factors influencing screening
behavior, as well as a qualitative study to explore barriers to screening of PCa
Description
A research mini-thesis submitted in partial-fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Public Health
Keywords
Prostate cancer, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, Screening, Men, Namibia, University of Namibia