Abstract

Background: Black men are at least twice as likely as White men to develop prostate cancer and die from it. Increasing awareness of Black men’s elevated risk, can encourage help-seeking behaviour, leading to early diagnosis. This study used a participatory and asset-based approach to co-design a peer-led intervention to encourage early diagnosis of prostate cancer among Black men in North East England and Scotland.

Methods: As part of a larger study, two community members were employed as Recruitment Leads. Through their networks, 13 Black men (aged 45-59) were recruited as the Public Involvement Community Engagement (PICE) group. Underpinned by an earlier exploration of barriers to early diagnosis, and using the World-café approach, three two-hour online sessions to co-design the intervention with the PICE group were conducted in June-July 2023. Sessions were audio recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data and subsequently mapped onto the Integrated Screening Action Model (I-SAM).

Results: A peer-led, two-hour workshop was co-designed, including: 1) discussion about barriers to early diagnosis, 2) health education component presented by a Black GP, 2) videos with testimonials from community members, 3) discussion regarding challenges in accessing care and asking the GP questions, 4) a video presenting Black women discussing the importance of looking after one’s health for the family, 5) videos with religious leaders’ perspectives on engaging with early diagnosis, 6) a social component with food and music.

Conclusion: A co-designed and culturally appropriate workshop was developed and evaluation will follow. The participatory and asset-based approach applied, fits with the conference theme and is crucial for addressing health inequalities, building trust, and improving outcomes.