Study of the relationship between Black men, culture and prostate cancer beliefs

Prostate cancer is the leading cancer for men worldwide, with increasing incidence in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the UK and USA, Black men of different backgrounds are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer but continue to have little involvement with related health services. Lack of knowledge and culture have been implicated as reasons for this but culture in Black ethnic groups has not been very well explored. This scoping study asks how ethnicity, as represented by culture, interacts with Black men's beliefs around prostate cancer. The objective is to understand the meaning of prostate cancer and the role of culture in Black men's beliefs about the disease. Using a symbolic interactionist approach to explore meaning-making in Black men around culture and prostate cancer reveals varied ways in which culture affects interaction with health services. A thematic analysis of 25 studies included in the final scoping study shows that there are three main themes under which cultural issues can be examined: personal, societal and structural. The study reveals that knowledge is contextual and that personal and societal beliefs and structural factors intertwine to create a system that can preclude Black men from taking part in prostate cancer-related health practices, and discusses some of the ways in which these can be addressed.