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[Drug therapy and hypertension in the newspapers]

Johanne Collin1, David Hughes

  • 1Faculté de pharmacie, Université de Montréal, Case postale 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7. johanne.collin@umontreal.ca

Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne De Sante Publique
|June 8, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Newspaper coverage of hypertension drugs in Canada often presents medications negatively, particularly in tabloids. This contrasts with more serious publications and may influence patient compliance with blood pressure treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Medical communication
  • Public health
  • Cardiovascular medicine

Context:

  • Hypertension affects a significant portion of the Canadian population, with low medication adherence and blood pressure control rates.
  • Media health reporting influences public perception and behavior regarding health management.
  • Understanding media portrayal of hypertension medications is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose:

  • To analyze the thematic content of Canadian newspaper articles concerning hypertension medications.
  • To investigate how different newspaper formats (reference, broadsheet, tabloid) portray these drugs.
  • To explore potential links between media discourse and treatment compliance.

Summary:

  • A thematic content analysis of 104 articles from three major Quebec newspapers revealed three key themes: drugs as effective treatment, specific problematic cases, and general issues with pharmacological approaches.
  • A trend towards more negative portrayals of hypertension medications was observed from serious newspapers to tabloids.
  • Tabloid newspapers, widely read in Quebec, frequently presented hypertension medications negatively.

Impact:

  • Media framing of hypertension medications, especially in popular press, may negatively influence patient attitudes and adherence to treatment.
  • Findings suggest a need for further research into the causal relationship between media discourse and medication compliance in hypertension management.
  • This study highlights the importance of media literacy in public health, particularly concerning chronic disease management.
Abstract

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