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2022 Messaging Guidebook for Black & African American People: Messages to Motivate for Colorectal Cancer Screening

2022 Messaging Guidebook for Black & African American People: Messages to Motivate for Colorectal Cancer Screening

Black and African American people experience disproportionately high incidence and mortality rates from colorectal cancer (CRC), with CRC death rates almost 40% higher than those of white people. While screening is only one element of the work that needs to be done to address these CRC disparities, it is important to promote screening in the best way possible.

The 2022 Messaging Guidebook for Black & African American People: Messages to Motivate for Colorectal Cancer Screening is intended to provide you with information and tools to help you work towards closing disparity gaps by using effective, tailored cancer screening messaging to help motivate people to get screened.

Background and Goals

The guidebook is a supplement to the2019 Colorectal Cancer Screening Messaging Guidebook: Recommended Messages to Reach the Unscreened. Based on the 2019 market research findings, the NCCRT and the American Cancer Society set out to gain a deeper understanding of the barriers to screening that Black and African American people face through our market research. The overall goal of the research was to: 

  • Gain a deeper understanding of the barriers to being screened 
  • Understanding healthcare behaviors and perceptions 
  • Understand how systemic racism and social injustice impact the Black community’s experiences within the healthcare system 
  • Uncover different motivators to encourage screening
  • Identify preferred and trusted information sources 
  • Gather reactions to potential messaging and messaging aspects to identify what elements of messaging will be most effective

This guidebook shares the findings and recommendations gathered from that research and is further designed to help educate, empower, and mobilize those not getting screened for colorectal cancer. Our vision is that our partners and advocates in the field use this guidebook to strengthen their communication campaigns and create resources that resonate with Black and African American communities.

View the June 21, 2022 webinar introducing the messaging guidebook.

Additional NCCRT market research and messaging guidance:

Acknowledgement

The NCCRT would like to thank the Public Awareness & Social Media Strategic Priority Team members and Advisory Committee, who generously offered their time and expertise to develop this guidebook’s research and content. We want to extend a special thank you to Quest Diagnostics, the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists, and Elevance Health Foundation for their support and guidance in conducting the market research and developing this guidebook.

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