Measuring Factors Associated with Colorectal Cancer Screening among Young Adult African American Men: A Psychometric Study

The Male Role Norms, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions associated with Colorectal Cancer Screening (MKAP-CRCS) survey was developed to assess the attitudes, knowledge, male role norms, perceived barriers, and perceived subjective norms associated with screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) among young adult African American men. There is a critical need for exploring the complex factors that may shape attitudes towards CRC screening among men who are younger (i.e., ages 19–45) than those traditionally assessed by clinicians and health promotion researchers (age 50 and older). Psychometrically sound measures are crucial for eliciting valid and reliable data on these factors. The current study, therefore, assessed the psychometric properties of the MKAP-CRCS instrument using an online sample of young adult African American men (N = 157) across the United States. Exploratory principal component factor analyses revealed that the MKAP-CRCS measure yielded construct valid and reliable scores, suggesting that the scale holds promise as an appropriate tool for assessing factors associated with CRC screening among younger African American men. Strengths and limitations of this study, along with directions for future research are discussed, including the need for more research examining the relationship between masculinity and CRC screening among African American men.