In partnership with the Jason Roberts Foundation, our team at Change Lab has been exploring how to better support Black men, when it comes to understanding prostate cancer and encouraging participation in early detection initiatives. This project was generously funded by the Bob Willis Fund and its work forms part of the LIMIT study which is contributing to wider efforts to make diagnostic research more accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of communities often underrepresented in uptake of cancer testing.
The LIMIT Study tests a new MRI scan that can take place in the community and allows for prostate cancer to be detected in just 5-minutes.
Why Early Detection Matters
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. While significant progress has been made in improving how we detect it, early diagnosis remains a challenge, particularly for groups at higher risk. Approaches that use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) support early detection, such as those developed in trials like ReIMAGINE and Prostagram.
Black men face twice the risk of being diagnosed with and dying from prostate cancer compared to men of other ethnicities. In the UK, 1 in 4 Black men will develop prostate cancer, with 1 in 8 succumbing to the disease. In contrast, men of other ethnicities face a 1 in 8 lifetime risk and a 1 in 24 chance of mortality.
The ReImagine study also revealed that Black men were significantly less likely to respond to traditional GP-led screening invitations, with response rates only one-fifth that of other men. This gap highlights the urgent need for culturally tailored evidence-based engagement strategies.
Therefore, this project focused on partnership with a local Northwest London community organisation to co-create new approaches to improve uptake of prostate cancer testing in the Black community.
Change Lab formed a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE)_ group who helped shape the design of workshops that took place at the Jason Roberts Foundation (JRF) in Harsleden London. The JRF is a community organisation working at the intersection of sport and development, investing in local communities to change outcomes for the most marginalised and is recognised locally as a key community hub and have supported awareness of the importance of prostate cancer testing among their networks.
Exploring the Role of Trusted Messengers
A core element of the project was the idea of the messenger effect – a behavioural science principle that suggests people are more likely to act on health information when it comes from someone they know or trust.
To explore this, the Change Lab team co-designed screening invitation materials with a group of men from different Black backgrounds who were over 45, including those with personal or family experience of prostate cancer. These materials aimed to make information about prostate cancer feel more accessible, relevant, and community-led. This took place through a series of workshops at the centre that resulted in one of the leaders from Jason Roberts Foundation, Head of Culture, Michael Adams synthesising these invites into community relevant materials such as a leaflet, video and WhatsApp message.
A Partnership Built on Trust and Local Knowledge
The collaboration with the Jason Roberts Foundation was a key part of this work as the community are experts by experience on how best to inform health improvement from the perspective of the Afro-Carribean community. The Foundation already had strong relationships with the local community and a shared interest in raising awareness of prostate cancer among underrepresented groups. As a result of this partnership, the Foundation have also began regular ‘health checks’ for community members where local people can come and have their blood pressure monitored at JRF.
Together, the Change Lab and JRF team:
- Co-hosted workshops and forums to talk openly about prostate cancer and identify what types of messages and messengers would resonate most
- Developed posters and video materials with input from the community
- Ensured messaging was shaped by the experiences and voices of those most affected
This work was not about creating one-size-fits-all communications for the Black community. It was about working alongside communities to ensure that health messages reflect their realities, values, and needs as well as create materials that will resonate with improving uptake of cancer testing in the Black community.
Informing Future Research
The materials developed through this collaboration are due to be presented at a Prostate Cancer UK Roundtable. We hope that these insights will help shape the design of future studies, including the new £42 million national prostate cancer screening pilot.
The project also contributed to broader outreach work, including a segment aired on Sky Sports’ Blue for Bob Day 2024, in a cricket match between England and the West Indies, developed with input from the PPIE group and filmed at the Jason Roberts Foundation. These opportunities help raise awareness and ensure that conversations about health are happening in more places, with more people.
Next Steps
At Change Lab, we continue to reflect on how research can be more inclusive and responsive. Our work with the Jason Roberts Foundation is just one example of how university-community partnerships can help shape more equitable approaches to health.
By listening to and learning from those with lived experience, we aim to support research that not only improves outcomes but also builds trust and relevance across underrepresented communities.