Reaching underserved communities through face-to-face research for World Cancer Research Fund (2026)
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) produces Living An Active Life, a guide that helps people move more in their daily lives and reduce their risk of cancer.
WCRF wanted to refresh the guide to better reach underserved communities at risk of physical inactivity, and commissioned Fiveways to conduct face-to-face qualitative research with those audiences to test and refine the new guide before launch.
“Fiveways took the time to understand our brief and worked closely with us to identify the most effective approach for the project. They recruited participants from a range of priority audiences, including people from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people living with long-term health conditions and those from lower socio-economic groups.”
“The insights we gained have been invaluable and helped us refine both the language and content of the publication, making it more relevant and accessible to the audiences we wanted to reach.”
Our research included
- In-depth group discussions conducted face-to-face in January 2026.
- One community group hosted at a local church, reaching participants less likely to take part in traditional research.
- Two groups with participants recruited specifically from underserved, often inactive communities, including people managing chronic pain or disability, and a range of cultural backgrounds.
- Sessions explored barriers and drivers to physical activity, and tested draft materials including the new guide, activity planner and case study format.
Our research revealed
- Reframing physical activity to include everyday movement, housework, walking, gardening, made the guide feel more accessible and validating for less active audiences.
- Psychological barriers, such as fear of judgement and caring responsibilities, were just as significant as practical barriers like time and cost.
- Participants need clear signals of credibility such as NHS or healthcare professional endorsement.
- Face-to-face research, including within a trusted community setting, surfaced candid perspectives from audiences who are typically underrepresented in research.