[Health information on nutrition in newspaper articles]

The purpose of this study was to review health information on nutrition in Japanese newspaper articles. The Nikkei Database was used to select articles published in five major newspapers: Asahi, Sankei, Nikkei, Mainichi and Yomiuri. All these dailies have nationwide circulation. The search period was for 7 years, from January 1993 to December 1999. The keywords "diet," "health," and "nutrition" were used. Consequently, 182 articles were selected and analyzed by determining content and coverage. The articles were published to be targeted for the general population: 123 (67.6%), schoolchildren: 21 (11.5%), and elderly: 18 (9.9%). The main source of the newspaper articles on diet was health professionals, such as nutritionists and medical doctors. As diet related health problems, the lifestyle-related diseases, obesity, hypertension, and mental health were introduced in the newspapers. Few articles commented on the relationship between oral health and diet, and dental professionals were not much involved in providing health information on diet. The newspaper is a major source for the general public to obtain health information. It is clear that oral diseases and functional disorder influence daily eating habits. It was suggested that dental professionals should provide such information to the general public, using many occasions, such as conducting health guidance at dental clinics, health education at health centers or schools, and also through mass media.