Influence of Media Ads on Health INTRODUCTION Does media advertising

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

Related Essays

Cigarette .... Other print .... emphasized the health benefits of .... a proactive antismoking campaign filtered through the mass media. .... contains the power to influence behavior. .... (2254 9 )

Ethics in Marketing .... Thus, there is a reciprocal influence between the public and .... revenues furnish income that underwrites the modern media. .... With a stop of all ...., the number of .... (3831 15 )

Public Service Announcementsl .... that peer pressure has a much greater influence than television .... were the most likely to view the .... as a .... issue, considered the use of mass media campaigns for .... (1766 7 )

Trash TV .... in the Watergate exposT All the President's Men, deplores (24-6) the influence of trash TV .... "Close Encounters of the Media Kind: Class .... "'Trash TV' .... Play No .... (9959 40 )

Philip Morris Companies .... that there are negatives that might influence a consumer's .... widespread attention, although largely from the business media. .... and South Korea ban .... in magazines .... (2135 9 )

from a questionnaire developed by Toohey (1985) for the purpose of measuring health knowledge and behavior in college and high school populations. Media - Conceptually, this term is used to refer to public channels of communication (Williamson, Swingle & Sargent, 1983). In this study, these forms are T.V., radio, and magazines. Chapter 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Introduction This study examines student opinion of media (radio, print, television) advertisements' (diet foods/weight-loss programs; vitamins; beauty; food and drink) impact on their concepts of health. So that the study may be placed in context, this chapter of the proposal examines a brief sampling of the current literature. Literature on Advertisement Effects on Health Concept For purposes of the brief review presented here, it is primarily important to note that there is a lack of consensus among authors and researchers regarding whether the impact of media advertisement on health and health-related topics is positive or negative. Examples of both claims are presented in this review. Klassen, Wauer and Comoting the health and weight-loss value of their products. However, over the last ten years the ads have increasingly promoted the health value o

Category: Psychology - I