Table 3.

Findings from group discussions

	Suggestions	Quote
Colorectal cancer	• Difficulty in understanding what colorectal cancer is • Include diagram/picture of colon to aid understanding	“Usus (colon) means? Usus (colon) is what?” Chinese, Female, Low Income If there is an image that is used. […] Do you have a poster to help people understand colorectal? Chinese, Male, Low Income
	• Difficult word: “nagging”	“What do you mean by nagging?” Chinese & Indian, High Income
	• People usually do not look at their stool	“We just do our business and flush, we do not really look at it.” Chinese, Male High Income
Breast cancer	• It is not acceptable to show breasts (real or mannequin) on TV or street advertisement)	“If it’s an internal organ it’s still OK. But externally, still not OK [to show a picture highlighting breast cancer symptoms], for public view quite difficult.” Malay, Male, High Income
	• Messages including numbers, e.g. “9 out of 10 women can survive cancer” are catchy	“You said that 9 out of 10 women survive breast cancer if found and treated early. That is to catch the attention. I think that one must say first, in the beginning.” Indian, Female, High Income
General suggestions	• Cancer survivor is preferred over doctor to communicate message/ share story • Celebrities would also attract attention • Real person is preferred over cartoon/animation	“It will be better to have cancer survivors talk. Doctor may be ok as well but not any random people without the cancer, or related to the cancer. Not just for acting sake by the artist. People will know it’s fake. It’s better to take real patient.” Malay, Male, High Income Cartoons are inappropriate, not serious. Malay, Female, Low Income
	• Shorten messages on poster	“When you put too many wordings, people won’t be stopping and reading it patiently. [...] Make it short lah.” Indian, Male, High Income
	• Messages should be delivered by different ethnicities in local languages, that is, multicultural (Malay, Chinese, and Tamil)	“Another one I see, for TV ads, mix Chinese, Indian, Malay, combine together become 1 Malaysia, with 1 Malaysia message. One against cancer […].” Malay, Male, Low Income
	• Highlight urgency of the message to undergo screening	“Check early is very important, that’s what you tell people.” Chinese, Female, High Income
	• Different opinions on whether to have a hopeful and encouraging or scary tone to the messages	“We Malaysians, if not scared we won’t take action. […] Maybe a guy crying at the graveyard […] and he notices blood on his attire.” Malay, Female, High Income “I think your poster should be giving hope and encouragement to go to [see a doctor].” Chinese, Male, Low Income