Prostate cancer awareness at Brigham Young University of Idaho: A cross-sectional study

Background: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, and is very common in older men. Early screenings have been proven to help diagnose prostate cancer sooner. Ignorance about prostate cancer can be a huge problem impeding men from getting screened. Hence, it is important to be aware of the disease and encourage prostate cancer screening by age 50. The purpose of this study was to establish the level of awareness of prostate cancer among college students at Brigham Young University of Idaho (BYU-I). Methods: This survey research was conducted at BYU-I. Questionnaires were sent via email. Responses were received the same way and analyzed using SPSS. Results: The study shows that knowledge about prostate cancer varied greatly among BYU-I students. The level of awareness is poor and is not correlated to gender or age. Conclusion: This study shows a significant lack of awareness of prostate cancer among BYU-I students. Necessary steps should be taken to promote more awareness and early screening for prostate cancer in this setting. Educational opportunities should be offered for recognition of symptoms and to promote screening which will lead to early diagnosis and treatment.