Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health Behaviors and Preventive Health Services Among Prostate Cancer Survivors in the United States

Introduction Little is known about how health behaviors and receipt of preventive health care differ by race and ethnicity among prostate cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in the prevalence of 7 modifiable factors related to prostate cancer: smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, weight, colorectal cancer screening, influenza vaccination, and pneumococcal vaccination. Methods We used data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to calculate the racial/ethnic prevalence of sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, health behaviors, and preventive health care among prostate cancer survivors. Adjusted prevalence estimates were calculated by using multivariable logistic regression. Results We identified 8,016 men with a history of prostate cancer. Multivariable analyses indicated that more black men reported being obese (29.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.5%-35.9%) than white men (22.8%; 95% CI, 21.1%-24.6%). More white men (3.6%; 95% CI, 2.9%-4.5%) reported consuming more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day than black men (0.9%; 95% CI, 0.4%-2.0%). More white men aged 65 or older reported receiving pneumococcal vaccine (74.2%; 95% CI, 72.2%-76.1%) than black men of the same age (63.2%; 95% CI, 54.8%-70.8%). We did not observe any differences in the prevalence of health behaviors and preventive health care between white men and men in Hispanic or other race categories. Conclusion Differences in alcohol consumption, obesity, and receipt of pneumococcal vaccination existed only between black and white prostate cancer survivors. These differences underscore the need to develop culturally appropriate, evidence-based interventions to reduce excessive alcohol consumption, maintain a healthy weight, and promote pneumococcal vaccination among prostate cancer survivors.