Abstract
Background
Ethnic minorities have lower cancer symptom awareness and report more barriers to help-seeking than the majority White population in England. However, little is known about how much speaking languages other than English at home contributes to this. We examined differences in cancer awareness and barriers between ethnic groups who speak English at home (English speaking: ES) and those who speak other languages (non-English-speaking: NES).
Method
Population-based surveys were carried out in England, using the Cancer Research UK Cancer Awareness Measure (n=33,188), with 79% of interviews conducted in English and 21% in other languages (London). Information on ethnicity and language was self-reported. We examined associations between the main language spoken at home (White British ES: n=27,974, minority ES: n=2,993; minority NES: n=2,221) and symptom awareness or barriers. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regression, controlling for socio-demographic factors.
Results
Compared with White British ES, participants who did not speak English at home had lower odds of recognising cancer symptoms and higher odds of reporting barriers, even after controlling for socio-demographic factors. The largest differences between ES and NES were observed among Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Chinese participants. For example, only ‘change in appearance of a mole' was significantly less likely to be recognised by ES Pakistanis (OR=0.41, 99%CI: 0.24-0.68), whereas all symptoms were significantly less likely to be recognised by NES Pakistanis. NES participants reported most barriers to help-seeking, especially NES Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. However, White British were significantly more likely to report being worried about wasting the doctor's time than most other ethnic groups whether ES or NES.
Conclusion
Poorer recognition of cancer symptoms and perceived barriers to help-seeking were more common in NES than ES ethnic minorities. Future campaigns should consider other communication channels for individuals with limited English proficiency as well as ensuring that appropriate translations are available.
Ethnic minorities have lower cancer symptom awareness and report more barriers to help-seeking than the majority White population in England. However, little is known about how much speaking languages other than English at home contributes to this. We examined differences in cancer awareness and barriers between ethnic groups who speak English at home (English speaking: ES) and those who speak other languages (non-English-speaking: NES).
Method
Population-based surveys were carried out in England, using the Cancer Research UK Cancer Awareness Measure (n=33,188), with 79% of interviews conducted in English and 21% in other languages (London). Information on ethnicity and language was self-reported. We examined associations between the main language spoken at home (White British ES: n=27,974, minority ES: n=2,993; minority NES: n=2,221) and symptom awareness or barriers. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regression, controlling for socio-demographic factors.
Results
Compared with White British ES, participants who did not speak English at home had lower odds of recognising cancer symptoms and higher odds of reporting barriers, even after controlling for socio-demographic factors. The largest differences between ES and NES were observed among Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Chinese participants. For example, only ‘change in appearance of a mole' was significantly less likely to be recognised by ES Pakistanis (OR=0.41, 99%CI: 0.24-0.68), whereas all symptoms were significantly less likely to be recognised by NES Pakistanis. NES participants reported most barriers to help-seeking, especially NES Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. However, White British were significantly more likely to report being worried about wasting the doctor's time than most other ethnic groups whether ES or NES.
Conclusion
Poorer recognition of cancer symptoms and perceived barriers to help-seeking were more common in NES than ES ethnic minorities. Future campaigns should consider other communication channels for individuals with limited English proficiency as well as ensuring that appropriate translations are available.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Do English-speaking ethnic groups in England have better cancer awareness and fewer barriers to help-seeking than non-English-speakers? |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Nov 2015 |
| Event | National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) conference - The BT Convention Centre, Liverpool, United Kingdom Duration: 1 Nov 2015 → 4 Nov 2015 |
Conference
| Conference | National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) conference |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Liverpool |
| Period | 1/11/2015 → 4/11/2015 |
