Date of Conferral

3-23-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Patti Barrows

Abstract

Black men are disproportionately affected in diagnosis and death rates from prostate cancer compared to White men. Although prior research established links between race, sociodemographic factors, and prostate cancer outcomes, longitudinal analyses examining multiple social determinants of health simultaneously were limited. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether race, marital status, and education impact how long patients live who were diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. Social impact theory framed how social forces such as race, education, and marital status influence health outcomes. A non-experimental correlational design was employed, drawing on archival data from 4,407 participants in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial enrolled from 1993 to 2001, including follow-up data through 2015. Independent variables included race, education, and marital status, while the dependent variable was survival time measured in days from randomization. The general linear model was used to analyze data for categorical predictors and a continuous outcome. Results indicated that all three sociodemographic variables independently and significantly predicted survival. Evidence for future support of social change through equity-focused interventions was provided, including targeting educational barriers and social support deficits in cancer care.

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