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Barriers to screening 

Taking part in screening is an individual choice. Most people take up the offer of screening however some people decide not to. 

There are many reasons why people do not to take part in screening. These barriers to screening can vary hugely between different people, groups or communities. 

If you are working with communities, understanding the barriers can help you plan and tailor your intervention. 


Evidence

Berner, A.M., Connolly, D.J., Pinnell, I., Wolton, A., MacNaughton, A., Challen, C., Nambiar, K., Bayliss, J., Barrett, J. and Richards, C., 2021. Attitudes of transgender men and non-binary people to cervical screening: a cross-sectional mixed-methods study in the UK. British Journal of General Practice, 71(709), pp.e614-e625. Accessed on: January 2024

 

Marlow, L.A., Wardle, J. and Waller, J., 2015. Understanding cervical screening non-attendance among ethnic minority women in England. British journal of cancer, 113(5), pp.833-839. Accessed on: December 2021 

 

Prothero, L., Lawrenson, J.G., Cartwright, M., Crosby‐Nwaobi, R., Burr, J.M., Gardner, P., Anderson, J., Presseau, J., Ivers, N., Grimshaw, J.M. and Lorencatto, F., 2022. Barriers and enablers to diabetic eye screening attendance: An interview study with young adults with type 1 diabetes. Diabetic Medicine, 39(3), p.e14751. Accessed on: January 2024 

 

Shankleman, J., Massat, N. J., Khagram, L., Ariyanayagam, S., Garner, A., Khatoon, S., Rainbow, S., Rangrez, S., Colorado, Z., Hu, W., Parmar, D., and Duffy, S. W., 2014. Evaluation of a service intervention to improve awareness and uptake of bowel cancer screening in ethnically-diverse areasBritish journal of cancer111(7), pp. 1440–1447. Accessed on: January 2024

 

Smith, P., Smits, S., Owen, S., Wood, F., McCutchan, G., Carter, B., Edwards, A., Robling, M., Townson, J. and Brain, K., 2018. Feasibility and acceptability of a cancer symptom awareness intervention for adults living in socioeconomically deprived communities. BMC Public Health, 18(1), pp.1-11. Accessed on: January 2024 

 

The deaf health charity Signhealth. 2014. The health of deaf people in the UK. [online] Available at: THE HEALTH OF DEAF PEOPLE IN THE UK .pages (signhealth.org.uk) Accessed on: January 2024

 

West Wales Care Partnership. Population needs assessment report 2022 – sensory impairment. [online] Available at: Sensory impairment - West Wales Care Partnership (wwcp-data.org.uk) Accessed on: January 2024

 

Young, B. and Robb, K.A., 2021. Understanding patient factors to increase uptake of cancer screening: a review. Future Oncology, 17(28), pp.3757-3775. Accessed on: January 2024