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Heart disease and gender in mass print media
1Department of Sociology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. jclarke@wlu.ca
Insights
Media portrayals often overlook women
Area of Science:
- Medical Sociology
- Gender Studies
- Media Studies
Background:
- Heart disease is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally.
- Women are under-diagnosed for heart disease due to under-reporting symptoms and physician dismissal.
- Media representation significantly influences public and professional perceptions of health conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze how popular mass print media frames the relationship between gender and heart disease.
- To identify gendered stereotypes in media coverage of heart disease.
- To understand the implications of these portrayals on diagnosis and treatment.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of popular mass print media articles.
- Examination of language and imagery used to describe men and women with heart disease.
- Thematic analysis of media narratives surrounding heart disease and gender.
Main Results:
- Men are often depicted as high-achieving individuals for whom heart attacks are a 'badge of honor'.
- Women are less frequently portrayed as heart disease patients, but are shown as concerned about their husbands' health.
- Female bodies are described as complex and difficult to diagnose, potentially hindering effective treatment.
Conclusions:
- Media narratives reinforce harmful gender stereotypes about heart disease.
- These portrayals may contribute to the under-diagnosis and under-treatment of heart disease in women.
- Challenging media stereotypes is crucial for improving cardiovascular health equity for women.
Abstract:
Heart disease is a major cause of death, disease and disability in the developed world for both men and women. Nevertheless, the evidence suggests that women are under-diagnosed both because they fail to visit the doctor with relevant symptoms and because doctors tend to dismiss the seriousness of women's symptoms of heart disease. This study examines the way that popular mass print media present the possible links between gender and heart disease. The findings suggest that the 'usual candidates' for heart disease are considered to be high achieving and active men for whom the 'heart attack' is sometimes seen as a 'badge of honour' and a symbol of their success. In contrast, women are less often seen as likely to succumb, but they are portrayed as if they are and ought to be worried about their husbands. Women's own bodies are described as so problematic as to be perhaps useless to diagnose, because they are so difficult to understand and treat.
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