ArticleHealth literacy research and practice2026
A Thematic Analysis Exploring Bowel Cancer Screening Promotional Visuals in the United Kingdom and India.
Article in Health literacy research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe purpose of this qualitative study is to explore and identify elements used in bowel cancer screening visuals that promote health literacy and participation in screening tests in the United Kingdom and India.
methodsA total of 17 participants from the United Kingdom and India took part in a thematic analysis study. Individuals were eligible for this study, if they were within the National Health Service bowel cancer screening target between ages 50 and 74 years. A total of 58 bowel cancer screening promotional images were presented to the participants, and they had to indicate whether they believed the image effectively encouraged participation in bowel cancer screening. Then, participants were invited for a remote interview to explore their verbal constructions of the bowel cancer screening images. The interview questions were designed to explore participants' preferences and aversions toward the visual elements used in promoting health literacy around bowel cancer screening. KEY
resultsThe findings highlight key visual features that resonate with the target audience and those that may hinder the effectiveness of screening messages. Encouraging elements include images of happy families, the portrayal of screening consequences, clear details about the screening process, and the inclusion of health care professionals. The study also underscores the importance of using both gain-framed and loss-framed messages. In contrast, discouraging elements, such as ambiguous images, such as pictures of toilets, and visuals evoking negative emotions, such as pictures showing internal organs, were identified as barriers to engagement. These visuals may confuse audiences or evoke feelings of disgust, which can deter individuals from participating in screening. The findings suggest that screening promotion materials should incorporate clear, informative visuals that directly relate to the screening process, such as test kits and health care professionals.
conclusionsThe study provides practical recommendations for designing effective, culturally relevant promotional materials that balance informational content with emotional appeal, improving the likelihood of increasing bowel cancer screening uptake.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.