A review of UK media coverage of physical activity associated with the publication of special issues in a high-impact medical journal

Milton, K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0506-2214, Chau, J., McGill, B. and Bauman, A. (2018) A review of UK media coverage of physical activity associated with the publication of special issues in a high-impact medical journal. Public Health, 163. pp. 87-94. ISSN 0033-3506

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Abstract

Objectives: The media is a substantial vehicle for conveying public health messages to the public. This study examined the extent to which the publication of special issues in a high-impact medical journal in 2012 and 2016 generated media interest in physical activity and health in the UK and explored the main issues that were reported. Study design: This is a systematic narrative review of print media. Methods: Relevant print news articles were identified by searching Factiva and Google News. The timeframe of each search was 2 weeks, using the publication date of each special issue as the anchor point. Overall, 20 articles were included in the analysis for 2012 and 37 articles for 2016. Results: The news media coverage was encouraging for the profile of physical activity and health. In 2012 and 2016, common themes included the benefits of physical activity and the risks of being inactive, comparisons between mortality rates from physical inactivity and smoking and the recommended volume of physical activity to benefit health. Conclusions: The profile given to an issue through prestigious scientific publication is one of the levers for community attention and policy change. Efforts are needed to further use the media for improving policy, practice and public awareness, which are antecedents to population health change.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: media,content analysis,physical activity,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Promotion
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research (former - to 2023)
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Population Health
Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 16 Aug 2018 10:31
Last Modified: 03 Jan 2024 02:22
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/68072
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.07.001

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