Bowel Cancer Screening Tests: Lack of Participation Among 50-74 Age Groups

This presentation focuses on the issue of lack of participation among the 50-74 age groups that receive free bowel cancer screening tests due to social, cultural, and economic factors. The author highlights the media article which has given the inkling on this issue to focus on for this video presentation. The presentation elaborates on all the factors associated with this scenario and emphasizes the need to address each and every factor and their unique impact with equal severity.

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Among the different public health issues that are prevalent in Australia, if the fatality risk
is considered, bowel cancer unequivocally present the second highest risk for fatality in the
Australian demographics. As reported in the Australian statistics and survey reports, the second
most commonly reported cancer is bowel cancer which has caused more than 4500 deaths in the
nation in the past year. Along with that, I would to mention in this presentation that the incidence
rate of the diseases in the year of 2017 had been 16500, and it will not take much effort for he
incidence rates to spike up to more than 17000 in the year of 2018. Hence, the importance for
early detection and diligent screening is crucial to address this particular public health priority.
Hence, in this video presentation I would like to focus on the issue of lack of participation among
the 50-74 age groups that receive free bowel cancer screening tests.
First and foremost I would like to highlight the media article which has given me the
inkling on this issue to focus on for this video presentation. The trusted ABC news had published
as article on how the Australians are too busy for the bowel cancer screening tests and why they
should start making time. I would like say that despite the government’s honest effort to reduce
the percentage of bowel cancer victims, only 39% of the target population has responded
positively. The article states that the awareness among the Australians, specially the middle aged
to older groups, have a very low awareness regarding the bowel cancer statistics and how to
prevent or manage it properly. More than 40% of the people that receive the screening test kits
have reported to not have the time to complete the screening tests, however I beg to differ. There
are various different factors associated with the lack of participation towards the screening and in
the next section I will elaborate on all the factors associated with this scenario.
First and foremost the bowel cancer screening tests require dealing with faeces, and this
is considered unpleasant and uncomfortable among the target population due to a combination of

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social and cultural factors. The concept of dealing with “a dirty part of the body” is universally
considered highly unpleasant. Furthermore, the culturally diverse families and traditions consider
offensive and hence many refrain from the screening tests. Along with that, the level of
awareness across the families and generations are very low regarding the concept of bowel
cancer. In fact, the bowel cancer is said to be an “old man’s disease” across different generations,
mostly in the native families, and as a result the level of participation is also terribly low.
It does not require more emphasis on the fact that the culturally and linguistically diverse
population in Australia has suffered a great inequality and neglect by the rest pf the mainstream
society post the colonization state. As per my own opinion the disrespect and respect has given
rise to a pessimistic and negative attitude among the natives and immigrants regarding the
national initiatives even if they are beneficial. Hence, the most of the target population avoid
compliance to any initiative including the bowel cancer screening tests. Along with that, the
traditionally backward thinking about health and disease, especially the fatal perception of
cancer is also a considerable barrier in the lack of participation. Many of the different individuals
have stated that they have perceived cancer as fatal and dangerous across generations. Hence
they are fearful of even attempting to participate in the screening tests. I cannot ignore impact of
the economic factors as well, across different familial backgrounds with lower socio-economic
status, the diagnosis of cancer is considered to be a huge financial burden and hence they shy
away from even the screening with the fear of the diagnosis.
Hence, as mentioned in the article, it has to be mentioned that even if the article has
stated that the Australians are too busy for the screening tests, I would like to state that time
constraint is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There are deep routed social and cultural
factors associated with the scenario and in order to change the attitude among the target group or

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the entire Australian population towards the bowel cancer test screening, there is need to address
each and every factor and their unique impact with equal severity.