Research Round-up – March 2019 – Kate Broun

Dr Kristi Milley and Sophie Chima talk to Kate Broun, Manager – Screening, Early Detection and Immunisation at Cancer Council Victoria about the recent media campaign that was launched in March 2019 and the publication Impact of a mass media campaign on participation rates in a National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. This study aimed to compare bowel cancer screening rates prior to, during and after a mass media campaign, and assess how high intensity campaigning in one state compared to a state that received less campaign exposure. An eight-week television-led mass media campaign was launched in selected regions of Australia in mid-2014 to promote the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP), which mails out FOBT kits. The campaign used TV advertising in the entire state of Queensland (QLD) but only some of Western Australia (WA). There were other supportive campaign elements such as print, digital and online advertising. The number of FOBT kits returned increased in QLD during the months of the campaign and up to two months after the broadcast, but not significantly in WA. This study indicates that low levels of participation in the NBCSP could be increased by mass media campaigns, but the overall effect will be dependent on the intensity of the campaign. Dr Milley mentions the PC4 Scientific Symposium to be held on April 4, 2019, in Melbourne. Kate Broun mentions Denise McGuinness a standup comic who promotes bowel cancer screening in the Victorian Koori community. Thank you to Sophie Chima for her work on Research Round-up. Sophie is leaving PC4 and we wish her the very best in her future endeavours. Please note this is the end of Season 1 of Research Round-up and we will return after a brief hiatus.

Articles

Durkin SJ, Broun K, Spittal MJ, et al Impact of a mass media campaign on participation rates in a National Bowel Cancer Screening Program: a field experiment BMJ Open 2019;9:e024267. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024267

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