As part of the initial phase of the ScanLink project carried out by the Cancerlink charity and held in Newham, East London, from 1995 to 1997, the views and experiences of black and minority ethnic women were sought on smear-test screening for cervical cancer. Several previous studies have found that minority ethnic groups receive unequal screening coverage. As part of community awareness-raising sessions on cancer, 172 black and minority ethnic women completed questionnaires on their knowledge, attitudes and experiences of cancer-screening services. Of these women, 17 also took part in individual in-depth interviews; 11 of the session facilitators were interviewed individually, and 11 health advocates took part in two focus-group discussions, It was found that: many of the women surveyed were unaware of the screening service; many others held misconceptions about the smear test;, and fear, embarrassment and previous negative experiences all inhibited initial or repeat attendance for screening. This article focuses on issues concerning ethnicity, language, advocacy and racism.

A study of nurses, comprising district, school and practice nurses and health visitors, working in the community was carried out in 1992/1993. The aims of the research included exploration of the nurses' beliefs about and attitudes to cancer and their own cancer preventive behaviours. Focus group methodology was used, with 11 discussion groups, totalling 86 nurses. Data were analysed qualitatively and reported in relation to emergent themes. The nurses found cancer a terrifying disease, dreading a personal diagnosis and feeling ambivalent about treatment effectiveness. However, they were good role models for cancer prevention, eating a healthy diet, protecting themselves from the sun, attending regularly for cervical and breast screening, and the majority did not smoke.

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Considers the importance of breakfast in relation to maintaining concentration at school and optimum growth, as well as in protecting against coronary heart disease in the future. Provides a description of a survey of five‐to eight‐year‐olds in seven inner‐city low income schools in Southampton where 5 per cent of children were found to have no breakfast. Only 20 per cent of children had a satisfactory breakfast in terms of protein and energy requirements – the most common satisfactory breakfast being cereal with milk plus a milk drink.

This report describes the results of a survey of children's reported or perceived breakfast habits in seven primary schools serving low-income areas in Southampton during January-April 1993. Structured and semistructured interviews were used. The two types of interview revealed a similar frequency of skipping breakfast, which was reported by 5.1 per cent in the entire sample of 935 children. The most common items apparently consumed at breakfast were cereal (68 per cent) usually with milk (61 per cent). Nearly a third of the children had sugar as well. Small numbers reported eating during the rest of the morning, most often in the mid-morning break when 447 (48 per cent) had a snack and 135 (14 per cent) had a drink. Striking differences were reported among the schools as to whether the children had a snack at all, and the type of snack. The importance of school's policies and practices should be explored further, as a potentially powerful force for achieving dietary behavioural change.