Abstract
Objective:
to identify the prevalence and factors associated with preventive examinations for the screening of prostate cancer in the elderly.
Methods:
a cross-sectional population-based study of 181 men aged ≥60 years who were residents of a small city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, was carried out. The dependent variable was considered to be the performance of preventive prostate cancer tests in the past two years and the independent variables were those related to health and sociodemographic characteristics. To test the association between the outcome and the independent variables, gross and multivariable analysis using Poisson regression was performed, estimating the gross and adjusted prevalence ratios, calculating the confidence intervals of 95%. All variables with p≤0.20 were included in the multiple model.
Results:
the prevalence of preventive examinations for prostate cancer was 89%. The tests used were the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) (85.7%), followed by tests performed in combination: rectal examination and PSA (9.3%), rectal examination, ultrasound and PSA (3.1%), rectal examination and ultrasound (1.3%) and ultrasound and PSA (0.6%). In multivariate analysis, the variables retirement and marital status were the independent factors associated with the carrying out of at least one preventive examination of the prostate.
Conclusions:
The findings demonstrate that being retired increases the likelihood of carrying out preventive examinations and having a partner, being married or cohabiting increases the likelihood of undergoing tests.
Keywords:
Risk Factors; Neoplasms; Health of the Elderly