The Impacts of Journalism in Promoting Awareness About Prostate Cancer
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this study is to find out the impact of journalism on prostate cancer awareness among men in south-eastern Nigeria towards prostate cancer detection, prevention, and treatment. Specifically, the research aimed at ascertaining the following:
- To find out the awareness level of men in South-Eastern Nigeria about prostate cancer.
- To ascertain the knowledge level of men in South-Eastern Nigeria on prostate cancer.
- To identify the sources of information about prostate cancer.
- To ascertain the attitude of men in South-Eastern Nigeria towards prostate cancer.
- To find out if the journalism on prostate cancer has influenced the behavior of men in the South-Eastern part of the country.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
TELEVISION MEDIA AND HEALTH COMMUNICATION
As Akpan (2006, p. 1) notes, one of the scientific developments of the 19th century was the utilization of the air wave to establish a worldwide communication system. Broadcasting is one of the several means of getting message to a large of people at the same time. It is made up of the conventional medium of television and radio. Heads (1985) cited in Akpan (2006, p.9) gives some of the attributes of broadcasting as ubiquity, immediacy, voracity, flexibility, voluntaries, interference and potential for social control.
It is thus these attributes that campaigns and communication strategists explore to advantages. One of such campaigns is the campaign against breast cancer in Nigeria.
The principal role of broadcasting in development is that of providing relevant information, (Akpan 2006, p.14). This can be done in a number of ways using a broad variety of formats which include: straight news, group discussions, testimonial type of interviews, magazines and combined entertainment information format, spot announcement, radio drama serials, etc.
Several studies provide that broadcasting has served the Nigeria public well in its contribution towards the development of health conscious attitude and practices. Akpan, 2006, p.4, Udeajah 2003, p. 1 – 3)
As Green (2009, p. 6) notes, news is information of importance to greater number of the citizenry. Thus health news like that on breast cancer is very important to the citizenry considering the saying that health is wealth. The broadcaster reportage of such news therefore tasks the journalist’s objectivity, fairness and ethical balance (Ugwunna, 2010, p. 15).
In his study of the television media’s role in the fight against breast cancer, Nnanna (2008, p. 19) notes, “The media’s life saving mission to raise awareness about early detection and the prevention of breast cancer is so important. It helps to take the message to people across the country through a campaign utilizing vast broadcast platforms.”
According to him, such campaigns engage a wide range of audiences across local, national and international broadcast stations, encouraging women across the country to embrace early detection plan. Thus, such broadcast contents inspire women to act, and this action may save their lives.
The sheer prevalence of disease and mortality, makes breast cancer compelling to the news media. It is evenly a high profile news topic after a dramatic increase in coverage over the third of the twentieth century (Corbete & Mori, 1999, p.176). Breast cancer has gained substantially more coverage than other major diseases (Kitzinger, 2000, p. 11).
Studies indicate that the general public relies on the mass media as a leading source for health information (Martinson & Hindman, 2005; Reagan & Collins, 1987) the studies also prove that media message contribute to health knowledge (Salmon & Akin, 2003). Studies examining health information sources show that the public uses differing channels, depending on background, characteristics and health needs (Maibach & Parrot, 1995; Mashall & Smith 1995). In the most recent study comparing communication sources of health information, Dutta (2004, p. 19) discovered that active retrieval channels (Newspapers, magazine, internet) are the primary sources for health oriented individuals, while passive consumption channels (television, radio) serve those who are less health conscious.
He concluded that the television media are best suited for prevention campaigns, particularly, if the message feature entertainment and education.
Cancer: A Genetic Disease
Hundreds of thousand people die as a result of cancerous tumor yearly. Mutations in genes that control cell growth and division are responsible for cancer.
However, the causes of cancers are still unclear to scientists and major findings have shown that most atimes cancers are genetic in nature. Cancer is not a single disease, it is a group of diseases, it can originate from many different tissues of the body, while some have aggressive growth, and others have slow growth. While some can be stopped from spreading, others cannot (Peter & Michael, 2010, p. 4).
Over the years, researches have shown that lung cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer, this is as a result of the effects of cigarette smoking. Prostate and breast cancers are also common. The death rate as a result of cancer is continuously on the increase, enormous efforts on the part of medical doctors have been on how to reduce it (Peter & Michael, 2010, p. 4).
The human body is made up of millions of cells, these cells houses our genetic material. The human cell contains 46 chromosomes (23 pairs), half of these chromosomes are inherited from each of our parents. The chromosomes contain the body’s blueprint (genes). However, these genes are responsible for human traits and when altered or mutated, give a higher risk for uncontrolled cell growth. This cell growth can lead to the development of a tumor. These genes are called different names, but the gene responsible for the growth of cancer tumors is referred to as “cancer susceptibility genes”(Walsh & Worthington 2003, p. 34).
As earlier mentioned, strong evidence have shown that the major underlying causes of cancers are genetic. First, when cancer cells are grown in culture, their descendants are all cancerous. This means that, the cancerous condition is transmitted from each cell to its daughters at the time of division. This phenomenon clearly indicates that cancer has a genetic basis. Secondly, some type of viruses can induce the formation of tumors in experimental animals. The induction of cancer by viruses implies that the proteins encoded by viral genes are involved in the production of the cancerous state. Thirdly, cancer can be induced by agents capable of causing mutations. Fourthly, certain type of cancer tends to run in families, finally, certain types of white blood cell cancers (leukemia and lymphomas) are associated with particular chromosomal aberrations. In a nutshell, these diverse observations strongly suggested that cancer is caused by genetic malfunctions. (Michael, 2010, p. 662)
In the 1980s when molecular genetics techniques were first used to study cancer cells, researchers discovered that cancerous state is indeed traceable to specific genetic malfunctions (defects). However, several of such defects are required for a normal working cell to be converted to a cancerous cell. The researchers discovered that two broad classes of genes can contribute to the formation of cancerous cell, they are the oncogene and tumor suppressor gene (Michael, 2010, p. 663).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
Survey research method was adopted for this study. The reason for the use of this method is based on the research topic and the statement of problem which this study set out to address. Further justification for this method can be seen in Ojiako (1998, p. 33) Nigeria, he stated that survey studies deal with the present condition of learning opinions on an issue and people’s perception about one thing or the other. This is in conformity with this research work which seeks to uncover the influence of prostate cancer campaigns on the impact of journalism on prostrate cancer awareness of men in South-Eastern Nigeria.
Population of the Study
The population for this study is made-up of all the males in South-Eastern Nigeria. South-Eastern Nigeria comprises of five states.
In regards to the data above which was obtained from the National Population Commission (NPC), the population for this study is 8,184,951. This number comprises of all the males in these states (South-Eastern Nigeria.)
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Data Presentation and Analysis
The researcher sampled a total of 500 respondents but a total of 476 copies of questionnaire were returned and the analysis was based on these returned copies. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyse the copies of questionnaire valid for the study. The analyzed questions were also presented in the study.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
This study looked at the influence of journalism on prostrate cancer on impact of journalism on prostrate cancer awareness of men in south-eastern Nigeria. The survey research design was used to collect data for this study, the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analysed the data gathered from the field.
However, this led to the following findings. The data gathered (table 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13) indicate that the awareness level is low among the respondents.
Table 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 were also used to address respondents’ knowledge of prostate cancer. Based on the analysis, it becomes clearly that the knowledge of men on prostate cancer is relatively poor. The data collected also show that majority of the respondents (34%) accepted that medical personnel were their major source of information on prostate cancer. On the influence of the campaigns on the respondents, some of the respondents that are aware of the campaigns agreed that the campaigns on prostate cancer have influenced their behaviour.
Conclusion
In winding up this study, the findings indicate that, most men in southeastern Nigeria are not aware of journalism on prostrate cancer and they are not exposed to these campaigns. Also, their knowledge of this disease is low and the medical practitioners serve as their major source of information. Those that are aware of the campaigns agreed that the campaigns have influence their practice on how to prevent, detect and treat prostate cancer.
In addition to the above, most of the men do not know that prostate cancer is a disease that kills; and can only be treated at its initial or early stage if detected on time. Those that are aware of the campaigns also acknowledged that before the campaigns on prostate cancer, they have little or no knowledge of the disease.
The issue of the disease having link with genes remains a subject that most of the men fail to accept, however genetic testing is still quite new to some of the men in the south-eastern Nigeria. The few that understand the relationship between genetics as a risk factor in the cause of prostate cancer agreed to genetic testing.
Also, the attitudes of underestimating and overestimating risks of prostate cancer are influenced by high or low levels of information acquired on the subject. However, their attitude towards the practice of preventive measures and the belief that, they are not susceptible to the disease seems to be low.
Recommendations
Based on the findings revealed in this study, it recommends that, awareness campaigns should be well structured to sufficiently address the negative attitudes of the men in south-eastern Nigeria on prostate cancer. Also, prevention of prostate cancer should be emphasized during subsequent campaigns paying serious attention on the causes of prostate cancer and how they can be prevented and treated, in addition, if preventive measures are taken seriously, survival rates will invariably increase since cure of cancer is not certain despite medical techniques and treatments available.
Also in line with The World Cancer Report (2011), this study also recommended that emphasis on the potential of early detection, treatment and palliative care should be taken serious by those in charge of the campaigns. Efforts to achieve earlier diagnosis should be taken to both the rural and urban parts of the country.
The study also, recommends that campaign planners, should lower the age for screening so that early detection and prevention at the hospital is enhanced, even though it has been discovered that early detection is not a guarantee of survival given that some types of cancers resist all forms of medications available as they spread to the bones and other parts of the body. However, if screening is done at an earlier age, early treatment could better reduce the risk of early death.
Dietary recommendation also requires close coordination by campaign planners with programs for the prevention of other related non-communicable diseases Policy makers should therefore make do with the latest information provided by the independent Expert Report on diet and chronic disease, released in March 2003 by WHO and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) in order to know which information will be most appropriate for them to base advice on prevention of cancer and other related diseases (World Cancer Report, 2011).
The study also recommends a healthy lifestyle as the best form of prevention. Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables and physical activity can make a difference.
Finally, further research works on prostate cancer can be carried out to cover the entire nation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
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- National Population Commission, (2006). Census report.
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- Raven, P. & Johnson G. (2002). Biology. New York: Mc Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.
- Snustad, M & Simmons, J. (2010) Principles of genetics. London: John Wiley & Sons, inc.
- Walsh, P & Worthington (1995). The prostate: A guide for men and the women who love them. London: John Wiley & Sons, inc.
