JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Promotional activities, such as social marketing approaches, are important in raising cancer awareness and increasing breast cancer (BC) screening participation. Such interventions are designed to facilitate change and maintain positive health behaviours at the community and society level. With the growing usage of these promotional activities in public health, it is pertinent to map available studies to inform future evaluations and the development of effective interventions.

Objective:

This study aims to review the existing studies on how social marketing interventions have been used to promote breast cancer screening and early diagnosis. The specific objectives were to assess the characteristics of social marketing interventions aimed to promote breast cancer screening, identify the methodological approaches used in evaluating the interventions, outcomes used to measure the impact of social marketing interventions for breast cancer screening, and assess the impacts of social marketing interventions in promoting breast cancer screening.

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search was performed in six electronic databases to identify qualitative and quantitative evaluations of social marketing interventions targeting breast cancer screening and early diagnosis. Titles and abstracts were reviewed independently by two reviewers, followed by data extraction and verification. The methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Outcomes were categorised using an adapted version of key performance indicators and metrics related to social media use in health promotion.

Results:

Overall, 15 research articles were eligible and analysed. Four types of social marketing interventions were identified: health professional and educational strategies, social media/mass media campaigns, community outreach campaigns, and video-based marketing. The predominant intervention source was public health government bodies, followed by regional health services, cancer charities, and educational institutions. Most interventions were designed to influence BC screening behaviours by raising awareness through advertisements, educational interventions, and fundraising activities. Most interventions reached a large audience (>500) but participants had mixed awareness and perceptions toward social marketing strategies, and the outcomes were shaped by demographic factors such as cultural backgrounds, age, education, marital status, and occupation. Knowledge gaps, cost concerns and the lack of physician recommendations also constituted key barriers to screening uptake. Behaviour change outcomes were sparingly assessed in most interventions, thereby contributing to limited understanding of mechanisms affecting screening uptake. n.

Conclusions:

Available evidence suggests that social marketing interventions may enhance breast cancer screening and early diagnosis. However, robust evaluations of these interventions and assessment of behaviour change outcomes could be performed in future research by utilising well-established evaluation frameworks and reporting guidelines. Developers and funders of these campaigns should also consider utilising an evaluation plan before conducting the actual campaign.