By Dr Roisin McCarthy, Research Officer, National Screening Service
We’ve completed research about what motivates and stops people from taking part in bowel screening in Ireland. It tells us that men and women have some different reasons for taking part – or not taking part – in screening.
What we did
In 2024, we carried out a national online survey to understand what motivates people to take part in bowel screening and what stops them from taking part. The survey was completed by 385 adults aged 59 to 69 years across Ireland (173 men and 212 women). We analysed the differences in responses between men and women.
Why we did it
Bowel cancer affects around 2,500 people in Ireland every year. It is more common in men than in women. Taking part in bowel screening can help find bowel cancer early, when it’s easier to treat. We wanted to understand how to encourage more people to take part in bowel screening.
What we found
- The main reason people said they would take part in bowel screening was to gain peace of mind about their health. 68% of men and 75% of women said this.
- Men were more likely than women to say they would take part in screening if their healthcare professional advised them to - 65% of men compared to 54% of women.
- Women were more likely than men to say they would be motivated to take part by getting an invitation letter - 70% of women compared to 62% of men.
- The most common barrier to taking part in bowel screening for both men and women was fear of finding something wrong. This was reported by 54% of men and 55% of women.
- Other barriers included thinking they were not at risk of cancer (38% of men and 28% of women) and not knowing how to do the test (26% of men and 31% of women).
Conclusion
Men and women in Ireland have different reasons for taking part in bowel screening. Men were more influenced by their healthcare professional’s advice, while women were more motivated by an invitation letter. The biggest barrier for both was fear of finding something wrong.
Next steps
We’ll use the findings of this research to review and adapt how we communicate information about bowel screening and encourage more people to choose screening.