研究表明：有关糖尿病的电视新闻缺乏
PHILADELPHIA, Jun 26 (Reuters Health) - Although diabetes is a leading cause of heart disease, kidney failure and death among American adults, the disease receives substantially less television news coverage than other chronic diseases, a study reveals.
The analysis of 10 years of national TV news coverage found that the three major networks ran 68 distinct diabetes-related stories, compared with 1,695 cancer-related broadcasts and 2,151 segments on heart disease.
Further, not one of the diabetes segments mentioned that US minorities--specifically blacks and Hispanics--are at increased risk for the disease and its accompanying complications such as kidney failure, blindness and amputations.
The findings, presented Sunday at the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting, suggest that many Americans are unaware of risk factors for diabetes and what steps to take once they are diagnosed.
"A lot of people don't read newspapers or medical journals and may not even listen to their healthcare provider," Dr. Stephania T. Miller from the Vanderbilt University Diabetes Research and Training Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. "Television is an avenue where we can get the message across."
While it is not clear why the networks run so few diabetes-related broadcasts, organizations that advocate for patients can do a better job of pitching story ideas, Miller said.
"These data suggest that national government and voluntary health organizations that advocate for cancer and [heart disease] are at least 20 times more effective than diabetes advocates at consistently and repeatedly bringing disease-related stories to the general public," the researchers conclude.
According to investigators, the death rate due to diabetes has risen 30% since 1980, while a lower percentage of people are dying from other chronic diseases., 百拇医药
The analysis of 10 years of national TV news coverage found that the three major networks ran 68 distinct diabetes-related stories, compared with 1,695 cancer-related broadcasts and 2,151 segments on heart disease.
Further, not one of the diabetes segments mentioned that US minorities--specifically blacks and Hispanics--are at increased risk for the disease and its accompanying complications such as kidney failure, blindness and amputations.
The findings, presented Sunday at the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting, suggest that many Americans are unaware of risk factors for diabetes and what steps to take once they are diagnosed.
"A lot of people don't read newspapers or medical journals and may not even listen to their healthcare provider," Dr. Stephania T. Miller from the Vanderbilt University Diabetes Research and Training Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. "Television is an avenue where we can get the message across."
While it is not clear why the networks run so few diabetes-related broadcasts, organizations that advocate for patients can do a better job of pitching story ideas, Miller said.
"These data suggest that national government and voluntary health organizations that advocate for cancer and [heart disease] are at least 20 times more effective than diabetes advocates at consistently and repeatedly bringing disease-related stories to the general public," the researchers conclude.
According to investigators, the death rate due to diabetes has risen 30% since 1980, while a lower percentage of people are dying from other chronic diseases., 百拇医药