Cancer Screening: Mass Media Targeting Clients — Cervical Cancer
Findings and Recommendations
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) finds insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of mass media interventions in increasing screening for cervical cancer because too few studies qualified for the review.
The full CPSTF Finding and Rationale Statement and supporting documents for Cancer Screening: Mass Media Targeting Clients [for Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancers] are available in The Community Guide Collection on CDC Stacks.
Intervention
Mass media including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and billboards are used to communicate educational and motivational information about cancer screening. Mass media can be used alone, but almost always include other components (e.g., client reminders) or attempt to capitalize on existing interventions and infrastructure. This review evaluated the effectiveness of mass media when used alone, or its unique contribution when used as part of a multicomponent intervention to increase screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.
About The Systematic Review
The CPSTF finding is based on evidence from a Community Guide systematic review published in 2008 (Baron et al., 2 studies, search period 1966-2004) combined with more recent evidence (1 study, search period 2004-2008). The systematic review was conducted on behalf of the CPSTF by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice, and policy related to cancer prevention and control.
Study Characteristics
The study from the updated search period assessed the effect of higher- versus lower-intensity mass media as part of a multicomponent intervention.
Summary of Results
Three studies qualified for the updated systematic review.
- Effects from all three studies were in the favorable direction, but only one reported absolute changes in screening (an increase of 4.7 percentage points).
Summary of Economic Evidence
An economic review of this intervention was not conducted because CPSTF did not have enough information to determine if the intervention works.
Implementation Considerations and Resources
CPSTF did not have enough evidence to determine whether the intervention is or is not effective. This does not mean that the intervention does not work, but rather that additional research is needed to determine whether or not the intervention is effective.
Crosswalks
Find programs from the Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs EBCCP website that align with this systematic review. (What is EBCCP?)