How did smokers respond to standardised cigarette packaging with new, larger health warnings in the United Kingdom during the transition period? A cross-sectional online survey.

Introduction: In the United Kingdom, standardised packaging for cigarettes was phased in between May 2016 and May 2017. We assessed whether there was an association between using standardised packs and warning salience, thoughts about the risks of smoking, thoughts about quitting, and awareness and use of stop-smoking websites.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with current smokers aged 16 and over ( = 1865) recruited in two regions of England between February-April 2017, when both standardised and fully-branded packs were on the market.

Awareness of the Signs, Symptoms, and Risk Factors of Cancer and the Barriers to Seeking Help in the UK: Comparison of Survey Data Collected Online and Face-to-Face.

Background: Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, causing an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Low cancer symptom awareness has been associated with poor cancer survival for all cancers combined.

Exploring public attitudes towards the new Faster Diagnosis Standard for cancer: a focus group study with the UK public.

Background: The Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) is to be introduced in England in 2020. This standard is a new policy in which patients should have cancer ruled out or diagnosed within 28 days of referral.

Aim: To explore public attitudes towards the FDS within the context of their recent referral experiences.

How Tobacco Companies are Perceived Within the United Kingdom: An Online Panel.

Introduction: Little is known about how consumers perceive tobacco companies in the United Kingdom.

Methods: An online cross-sectional survey with those aged 16 years and over (N = 2253) explored perceptions of, and attitudes towards, tobacco companies. This included awareness of tobacco companies, views on tobacco companies' practices (targeting the most vulnerable, encouraging smoking to replace those who quit or die, making cigarettes more addictive) and values (honesty, ethics, interest in harm reduction), perceptions of regulation of tobacco companies (whether tobacco companies have the same marketing rights as other companies, should be allowed to promote cigarettes, be required to sell cigarettes in plain packs, and pay for associated health costs), and locus of responsibility for health problems caused by tobacco use.

Evaluating the impact of a community-based cancer awareness roadshow on awareness, attitudes and behaviors.

Improving public awareness of cancer and encouraging health behavior change are important aspects of cancer control. We investigated whether a community-based roadshow was an effective way of communicating with the public about cancer and encouraging behavior change. Data were from 1196 people who completed questionnaires at a Cancer Research UK Cancer Awareness Roadshow in 2013.

Piloting the Impact of Three Interventions on Guaiac Faecal Occult Blood Test Uptake within the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.

This study evaluated the impact of three interventions on uptake of the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) in Greater London. The interventions were designed to improve awareness and understanding of the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) and assist stool sampling. Logistic regression analysis of BCSP London data (N = 205,541 invitees aged 60-74) compared uptake at 12 weeks between intervention groups and a control group, sent kits as usual between January-April 2013 and January-April 2014.

Green Plants in the Red: A Baseline Global Assessment for the IUCN Sampled Red List Index for Plants.

Plants provide fundamental support systems for life on Earth and are the basis for all terrestrial ecosystems; a decline in plant diversity will be detrimental to all other groups of organisms including humans. Decline in plant diversity has been hard to quantify, due to the huge numbers of known and yet to be discovered species and the lack of an adequate baseline assessment of extinction risk against which to track changes. The biodiversity of many remote parts of the world remains poorly known, and the rate of new assessments of extinction risk for individual plant species approximates the rate at which new plant species are described.

Talking about cancer with confidence: evaluation of cancer awareness training for community-based health workers.

Aims: To examine the impact of cancer awareness training for community-based health workers on confidence to talk about cancer, and knowledge of cancer risk factors and signs and symptoms.

Methods: Community-based health workers from Sandwell, Birmingham and Solihull were invited to take part in one of 14 one-day training workshops. Trainees completed questionnaires at the beginning of the workshop and were followed up one month later.

Improving cancer control through a community-based cancer awareness initiative.

Objective: To assess the impact of the Cancer Research UK Cancer Awareness Roadshow on intentions to change health behaviours and use local health services related to cancer.

Method: Feedback forms from visitors to three Roadshows collected data on anticipated lifestyle changes and health service use following their visit to the Roadshow. Demographic predictors of intentions were investigated.

Knowledge of lung cancer symptoms and risk factors in the U.K.: development of a measure and results from a population-based survey.

Objectives: To develop and validate a lung cancer awareness measure (Lung CAM) and explore the demographical and social predictors of lung cancer awareness in the general population. METHODS STUDY 1: Symptoms and risk factors for lung cancer were identified from the medical literature and health professional expertise in an iterative process. Test-retest reliability, internal reliability, item analyses, construct validity and sensitivity to changes in awareness of the Lung CAM were assessed in three samples (total N=191).

Patient-reported outcomes following flexible sigmoidoscopy screening for colorectal cancer in a demonstration screening programme in the UK.

Objectives: Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening for colorectal cancer will be introduced into the National Cancer Screening Programmes in England in 2013. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) from trial participants indicate high acceptability and no adverse physical or psychological consequences, but this may not generalize to routine screening in the community. This study examined PROMs in a community-based FS screening programme.

Ovarian and cervical cancer awareness: development of two validated measurement tools.

Background: The aim of the study was to develop and validate measures of awareness of symptoms and risk factors for ovarian and cervical cancer (Ovarian and Cervical Cancer Awareness Measures).

Methods: Potentially relevant items were extracted from the literature and generated by experts. Four validation studies were carried out to establish reliability and validity.

Assessing awareness of colorectal cancer symptoms: measure development and results from a population survey in the UK.

Background: This paper describes the development of a Cancer Awareness Measure for colorectal (CRC) cancer (Bowel/Colorectal CAMa) (study 1) and presents key results from a population-representative survey using the measure (study 2).

Methods: STUDY 1: Items were taken from the literature and reviewed by expert groups. A series of three validation studies assessed reliability and validity of the measure.

Patient acceptability of CT colonography compared with double contrast barium enema: results from a multicentre randomised controlled trial of symptomatic patients.

Objectives: To determine patient acceptability of barium enema (BE) or CT colonography (CTC).

Methods: After ethical approval, 921 consenting patients with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer who had been randomly assigned and completed either BE (N = 606) or CTC (N = 315) received a questionnaire to assess experience of the clinical episode including bowel preparation, procedure and complications. Satisfaction, worry and physical discomfort were assessed using an adapted version of a validated acceptability scale.

Nurses' experiences of a colorectal cancer screening pilot.

This article describes a study that set out to explore the experience of endoscopy nurse practitioners participating in the Department of Health-funded UK Nurse-led Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the three nurse practitioners involved and were analysed using Thematic Analysis, a qualitative method for analysing and reporting patterns (themes) within data. Nurse practitioners found that participating in the study improved their skills and provided job satisfaction despite the hard work it entailed.

The impact of individually-tailored lifestyle advice in the colorectal cancer screening context: a randomised pilot study in North-West London.

Objective: The screening context may provide a "teachable moment" for promoting health behaviours. The present study examined the impact on diet, alcohol and physical activity of providing individually-tailored advice in the context of flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening.

Method: Adults (n=365) aged 58-59 years who attended FS screening between 2006 and 2008 and had no abnormalities detected were randomised to one of three groups: (i) control (usual care); (ii) standard leaflet on healthy lifestyle; or (iii) standard leaflet plus brief, tailored feedback based on information from the pre-screening questionnaire.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy screening for colorectal cancer: uptake in a population-based pilot programme.

Objective: The aim of this study was is to examine uptake of population-based, flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening delivered by nurses in a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse area of London, England.

Methods: All adults aged 58 and 59 years registered at 34 general practices in North London (n = 2260) were mailed an invitation to attend FS screening at the local hospital.

Results: In total, 45% (1024/2260) accepted the invitation and attended, 5% (114/2260) accepted the invitation but failed to attend, 5% (111/2260) accepted the invitation but were unable to attend within the time-frame of the pilot study, 7% (165/2260) declined the offer, 27% (602/2260) did not respond, and 11% (244/2260) were ineligible or did not receive the invitation.

Uptake of colorectal cancer screening: system, provider and individual factors and strategies to improve participation.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for 9% of all new cancer cases worldwide and affects over 1 million people each year. Screening can reduce the mortality associated with the disease, yet participation rates are suboptimal. Compliers with CRC screening are less deprived; they have higher education than noncompliers and tend to be male, white and married.

Ethnic differences in participation in flexible sigmoidoscopy screening in the UK.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine ethnic differences in participation in colorectal cancer screening by flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS). It assessed both intentions to be screened and actual screening uptake, and considered whether demographic, health and psychosocial factors mediated the ethnic differences. The setting of this study follows a subset of participants from the UK FS Trial.

Understanding intentions and action in colorectal cancer screening.

Background: Factors involved in forming intentions to attend cancer screening may be different from those involved in translating intentions into action.

Purpose: To test the hypotheses that social cognition variables predict intention better than action, and that life difficulty variables predict action better than intention, in colorectal screening.

Methods: Participants from one center in the UK Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Trial (n = 2,969) were categorized according to their screening intention, measured at baseline, and their subsequent attendance at screening (recorded at the clinic).

Attitudes to colorectal cancer screening among ethnic minority groups in the UK.

Background: Colorectal screening by Flexible Sigmoidoscopy (FS) is under evaluation in the UK. Evidence from existing cancer screening programmes indicates lower participation among minority ethnic groups than the white-British population. To ensure equality of access, it is important to understand attitudes towards screening in all ethnic groups so that barriers to screening acceptance can be addressed.