Project to boost cancer screening uptake for South Asian Muslim women
The three-year Muslim Families Screening For Life project, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, asked South Asian Muslim men to speak to women in their family about the importance of attending cancer screening appointments.
The project was delivered in partnership with organisations including Faith in Communities, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Sharing Voices Bradford, and the British Islamic Medical Association.
A total of 1,072 males aged 16 and over took part, and 58 workshops were held at Bradford district venues, including mosques, gyms, and community centres.
Findings of the project were presented at an event held at the University of Bradford on Tuesday, June 24.
Dr Mel Cooper, reader in maternity and migrant health at the University of Bradford and joint project lead, said: "This project has seen grassroots-level organisations working together with the same purpose.
"We are delighted to reach 1,072 men, which was above our target of 1,000.
"We hope the word has spread through the communities and more women have taken up screenings after this project and we have helped to save lives."
Participants were encouraged to speak with six women in their families about the importance of attending cancer screenings.
Cancer screening rates for breast, cervical, and bowel cancer among Muslim women in Bradford are thought to be relatively low: in the BD2, 3, 5, 7, and 8 postcode areas alone, 18,500 screenings are currently overdue, according to a spokesperson from the University of Bradford.
Zahid Khan, a community development worker with Sharing Voices Bradford, who helped to deliver the workshops, said: "The men have been receptive.
"Men have come up to us after the sessions and said the project is important and they were glad that we're talking about it."
Sixth form students at Bradford schools and colleges, and students at the University of Bradford, also contributed to the research, which included questionnaires and interviews to assess knowledge and understanding of the need for the project.
Dr Stuart Griffiths, director of research at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: "The government must fund and quickly introduce innovations in screening to help reduce health inequalities so more people in Yorkshire live longer, healthier lives, free of cancer."
Early findings have been analysed by the University of Bradford and will inform future projects.
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