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Effects of newspaper coverage on public knowledge about modifiable cancer risks
Jo Ellen Stryker1, Cortney M Moriarty, Jakob D Jensen
1Department of Behavioral Sciences & Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. jestryk@sph.emory.edu
Health Communication
|August 15, 2008
Summary
Newspaper coverage of cancer prevention is limited, particularly for exercise and sun exposure. Media attention to tobacco and diet news correlates with public knowledge, but only above a certain coverage threshold.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Communication
- Cancer Prevention Research
- Media Studies
Background:
- Public knowledge of cancer prevention is crucial for reducing cancer incidence.
- Media, particularly newspapers, can influence public health awareness and behaviors.
- Previous research suggests a link between media exposure and health knowledge, but specific content-knowledge relationships require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between newspaper coverage of cancer prevention topics and public knowledge.
- To analyze the extent of newspaper attention to various modifiable cancer risks.
- To validate self-reported media exposure measures against actual content analysis.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of 954 newspaper articles to assess coverage of cancer prevention topics.
- Survey analysis using the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS).
- Statistical controls for demographic factors (gender, race, age, income, education) in survey analysis.
Main Results:
- Newspapers provide limited coverage of cancer prevention overall.
- Tobacco and diet receive more coverage than exercise, sun exposure, and alcohol.
- Media attention to health news correlates significantly with knowledge of smoking and food-related cancer risks, but not exercise, sun, or alcohol risks.
Conclusions:
- Newspaper coverage of cancer prevention is insufficient to significantly inform the public on all modifiable risks.
- A threshold effect exists: news coverage must reach a certain level to impact public knowledge.
- Findings validate self-reported media exposure measures and highlight the need for increased and targeted media attention on cancer prevention.
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