When Communities Lead, Participation Follows: Reimagining Cancer Screening
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Authors
Shabira Cassidy
Nilushka Perera
Nimo Mohamed
Contact
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Issue Date
06-May-26
Type
Conference Abstract
Language
Keywords
Working with people and communities , Embedded researchers , Rapid evaluation
Alternative Title
Abstract
Background
Cancer screening uptake remains significantly lower amongst global majority communities in East London. People Street co-designed an awareness project with communities to surface barriers, attitudes and experiences of cancer screening. Using these insights, we designed a phased behavioural health intervention aimed at tackling non-attendance, increasing knowledge and confidence of screening.
Methodology
Community Facilitators delivered cancer awareness sessions in mother tongue, in community settings to 283 women in Newham and Tower Hamlets.
Working with Tower Hamlets GP Care Group, we delivered a community health event attended by more than 75 women; 12 multidisciplinary healthcare professionals.
Using content from the national bowel screening letter, we co-created a short video with a local GP (English, Somali and Sylheti), which our Community Researchers cascaded to communities.
An equity-based qualitative evaluation was co designed and delivered by Community Researchers.
Findings
1 Month post-intervention: 100 participants provided feedback on the video
64% of the participants watched the video in Somali, 34% in Bengali, 2% in English.
52% were men and 35% had very low levels of digital literacy,
Age ranges: 47% (45-54), 35% (55-64); 18% (over 65)
73% of the participants had received a screening letter but only 40% completed screening.
After watching the videos, 100% intended to complete screening and said they better understood how to use the kit.
12 participants who attended the community health event picked up a bowel screening kit after the session.
Key reasons participants liked the video was because it was in their mother tongue (90%), easy to understand (67.1%), and preferred videos of a good length over letters (47.1%). Most wanted similar videos for Breast (75%), Prostate (97%), Cervical (72%) and Lung cancer screening (91%), and 91% would encourage friends and family to test as well.
Thematic analysis surfaced insights on how audio translation plays a vital role in building trust, strengthening social cohesion, and enhancing understanding of early detection and prevention.
Reflections
This programme tested a community-embedded approach to designing and delivering cancer screening interventions for global majority communities, showing that community-led models create impact beyond individual behaviour.