Correlação entre os níveis de conhecimento de trabalhadores acerca do câncer de próstata e sinais preditivos de sua prevenção

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa), a malignant glandular neoplasm, is the second most common cancer in men and the fifth leading cause of cancer death globally in this population. It’s often-silent initial progression and controversies surrounding screening, hampered by cultural barriers, highlight the importance of assessing knowledge about the disease. This study aimed to assess knowledge about PCa among male workers (porters and general service assistants) at a tertiary public hospital in Piauí, identify their sociodemographic and economic profile, health practices, familiarity with symptoms, risk factors, diagnostic tests, and barriers to adherence. Additionally, a brief educational intervention was conducted. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive-exploratory, quantitative study with 40 workers, conducted in Teresina-PI between Nov/2021 and Mar/2022. A semi-structured questionnaire was used, and descriptive analysis and Spearman's correlation were performed. The participants (mean age 42 years), mostly with an income of up to two minimum wages and an average of 10 years of schooling, had a predominantly sedentary lifestyle (57.5%) and primarily sought health services only in case of illness (57.5%). Although 90% had heard of PCa, only 20% spontaneously recognized risk factors, and 27.5% identified symptoms. Knowledge about PSA was 40% and about digital rectal examination 65%, with 97.1% expressing an intention to undergo the exam in the future. Age, income, and education level were positively correlated with prior knowledge and understanding of the purpose of the exams (ρ>0.5; p<0.01). The study concluded that, despite general familiarity with PCa, the workers showed gaps in knowledge about risk factors, symptoms, and exams, influenced by socioeconomic and cultural factors. Study limitations include cross-sectional design, small sample size, recruitment difficulties, the self-reported nature of the knowledge, and the scarcity of specific literature on the topic among workers. Intensifying continuous and interactive health education actions in the workplace is recommended, aiming to demystify the disease and diagnostic procedures and increase adherence to preventive practices.