Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding prostate cancer and early screening among middle-aged and elderly Chinese men - a cross-sectional study

Q: What was the purpose of this cross-sectional study?

To examine knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding prostate cancer and early screening among middle-aged and elderly men in China.

Q: How many participants were included in the analysis and what was their average age?

A total of 518 valid questionnaires were analyzed, with a mean participant age of 59.47±14.84 years.

Q: Which factors were independently associated with proactive screening practice?

Multivariate logistic regression indicated that knowledge score (OR=1.066), current smoking (OR=1.972), and prior prostate cancer early screening (OR=0.235) were independently associated with proactive practice.

Sep 30, 2026

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Prostate cancer is an increasingly important health concern among aging men in China, yet screening behaviors remain insufficiently characterized. This cross-sectional study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to prostate cancer and early screening among middle-aged and elderly men using a self-designed questionnaire. Among 518 valid responses, knowledge, attitude, and practice scores indicated inadequate knowledge but positive attitudes and proactive screening practices. Knowledge showed a direct effect on both attitudes and practices, while smoking and prior screening status were independently associated with adherence.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Key findings

What is known and what is new?

What is the implication, and what should change now?

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding prostate cancer and early screening among middle-aged and elderly Chinese men: a cross-sectional study Shuxian Tang1\#, Jian Wang1\#, Jun Xu1, Jie Shen2 1Department of Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China; 2Department of Urology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China Contributions: (I) Conception and design: S Tang, J Shen; (II) Administrative support: J Shen; (III) Provision of study materials or patients: S Tang, J Shen; (IV) Collection and assembly of data: J Wang; (V) Data analysis and interpretation: J Xu; (VI) Manuscript writing: All authors; (VII) Final approval of manuscript: All authors. \#These authors contributed equally to this work. Correspondence to: Jie Shen, MM. Department of Urology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 185 Juqian Street, Tianning District, Changzhou 213000, China. Email: [569056214@qq.com](569056214@qq.com). Background: Prostate cancer is an increasing health concern among aging male populations in China, yet evidence on their screening behaviors remains limited. This study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of middle-aged and elderly males regarding prostate cancer and its early screening. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the urologic surgery clinic of the First People’s Hospital of Changzhou from September to November 2023.The KAP scores were evaluated using a self designed questionnaire. Results: A total of 616 responses were collected, with 518 valid questionnaires included in the analysis. The mean age of participants was 59.47±14.84 years. The mean scores for KAP were 7.58±5.67 (possible range, 0–20), 25.27±2.27 (possible range, 7–35), and 26.11±3.94 (possible range, 7–35), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression showed that knowledge score [odds ratio (OR) =1.066; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.010–1.124], currently smoking (OR =1.972; 95% CI: 1.087–3.578), and with previous prostate cancer early screening (OR =0.235; 95% CI: 0.142–0.391) were independently associated with proactive practice. Mediation analysis indicated that knowledge directly affected both attitude and practice, with no significant indirect effect on practice (all P<0.05) . Conclusions: Middle-aged and elderly men demonstrate insufficient knowledge but exhibit positive attitudes and proactive practices regarding prostate cancer. This study provides critical insights into the KAPof middle-aged and elderly males regarding prostate cancer screening, an under-researched area in public health. Keywords: Knowledge; attitude; practice; middle-aged and elderly men; prostate cancer Submitted Jul 18, 2025. Accepted for publication Nov 06, 2025. Published online Dec 26, 2025. doi: 10.21037/tau-2025-503 View this article at: [https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tau-2025-503](https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tau-2025-503) Introduction Prostate cancer, a prevalent malignancy affecting men worldwide, has become increasingly common, as evidenced by the rising incidence rates globally (1) . Approximately 1 in 8 men is expected to receive a prostate cancer diagnosis during their lifetime, with over 400,000 men currently living with or beyond the disease, underscoring its substantial impact on male health (2) . Global cancer statistics from © AME Publishing Company. Transl Androl Urol 2025;14(12):3872-3882 | [https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tau-2025-503](https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tau-2025-503) Translational Andrology and Urology, Vol 14, No 12 December 2025 3873 2020 highlight the prominence of prostate cancer, ranking it among the top three cancers in both morbidity and mortality for men (3) . In Asian countries, including China, prostate cancer incidence has historically been lower than in Western populations but has shown a steady increase in recent years, largely due to population aging and improved detect

FAQs

What was the purpose of this cross-sectional study?

To examine knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding prostate cancer and early screening among middle-aged and elderly men in China.

How many participants were included in the analysis and what was their average age?

A total of 518 valid questionnaires were analyzed, with a mean participant age of 59.47±14.84 years.

Which factors were independently associated with proactive screening practice?

Multivariate logistic regression indicated that knowledge score (OR=1.066), current smoking (OR=1.972), and prior prostate cancer early screening (OR=0.235) were independently associated with proactive practice.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Jiven