Improving screening uptake in Bradford

More than 1,000 people across Bradford took part in a pioneering research study aimed at increasing the number of South Asian Muslim women screened for cancer.

The Muslim Families Screening 4 Life study, led by the University of Bradford and funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, sought to open conversations about cancer screening within families.

The study was designed with cultural insight and experience from both men and women from the South Asian Muslim community, and delivered in partnership with Faith in Communities, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Sharing Voices Bradford, and the British Islamic Medical Association.

Over three years, 58 workshops were held in mosques, sports centres, and community venues across the Bradford District, reaching more than 1,000 men.

These sessions helped build understanding of breast, cervical, and bowel cancer screening, and encouraged families to talk more openly about health.

As well as encouraging conversations about screening, the study’s approach opened doors to new ways of thinking about how health messages are shared within communities.

Dr Aliya Darr, Research Fellow at the University of Bradford, said: “Through running workshops with a wide range of South Asian Muslim men, knowledge about the different types of screening procedures for cancer increased.

“The workshops were considered to be very informative, and having attended, men reported they were able to speak to their wives about the importance of cancer screening."

As part of the study, a toolkit was developed to provide guidance on methods of best practice when delivering informative workshops to Muslim men designed to increase their knowledge of breast, bowel, and cervical cancer screening to increase screening behaviour in women in their families.