The university has been awarded £618,000 to improve the uptake of breast, cervical, bowel and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening in Black communities.
The University of Sunderland has been awarded £618,000 from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) for a new study to increase the uptake of breast, cervical, bowel and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening in Black communities in the north-east of England, Leeds and Scotland.
Uptake for these screening tests among ethnic minority groups, particularly Black African and Caribbean communities, remains lower than average. This can lead to later diagnoses which reduces the effectiveness of treatment.
The Equity in Black Adult Health (EQUITA) study will trial a workshop aimed at informing and encouraging Black men and women to attend these screenings while addressing barriers such as lack of awareness, embarrassment, or previous negative healthcare experiences.
“Health inequalities are a persistent issue in the UK, and they disproportionately impact Black communities,” said Floor Christie-de Jong, associate professor in public health for medicine at the University of Sunderland.
The workshops will be delivered to 300 Black individuals aged 25 to 74 across churches in the north-east, Leeds and Scotland. Participants will be divided into two groups, with one attending the workshop and the other not, to assess the intervention’s effectiveness.
Over 24 months, the study will assess whether this faith-placed intervention can improve screening rates.
The collaborative project involves researchers and practitioners from the Universities of Glasgow, Teesside, Northumbria and Leeds Beckett, as well as Middlesbrough Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
