Does media advertising shape people's attitudes toward health - e.g. what health is and how it is maintained? There is general agreement in the literature that media advertisements do indeed shape public notions of and about health (e.g. Mullen, 1983; Rodheaver & Stohs, 1991). However, there is a good deal of disagreement as to whether the impact of this influence is positive or negative. For example, Klassen, Wauer and Cassel (1991) have stated that advertisements for weight-loss programs and diet-related food and drink have greatly increased female health. On the other hand, Wallack (1983) argues that food and drink advertisement is sufficiently negative to justify naming it an "anti-health campaign."
The study proposed here is an attempt to bring clarity to this controversy through the collection of survey data on whether samples of young adults (college and high school students) believe that media advertisement is contributive to their concept of health.
The proposed study will survey samples of young adults regarding: (1) their general concept of health; (2) their opinions as to whether their notions of health have been influenced by media advertisement in four categories of ads (diet products/weight-loss programs; beauty products; food and drink; vitamins); and (3) their opinions as to whether the influence in each category and generally has been positive or negative. Further, the survey will ask for opinion regarding three types of media: television, print (magazines) and radio.
It has been noted that research findings are mixed with respect to whether the influence of advertisements on health concept is positive or negative. It seems reasonable to suggest that findings may differ depending upon the population doing the judging; if so, then it could be expected that the three different samples of young adults (college students, high school students, and Sunday School students) might have different opinions regar...