Year: 2001
Type: book-review
Abstract: eects.The price of drugs is mentioned in only 2% of articles.Overall the research concludes that information was imbalanced, biased in favour of positive or neutral messages, with only 6% providing negative analysis regarding a product.The in-depth study of `Health' found that 11 out of 18 health articles were concerned with plant medicines and seven on pharmaceuticals.Vietnamese culture heavily in¯uences the tone and messages in the information found.Fertility and longevity, two key concerns in Vietnamese culture, in¯uences material, for example with a focus on the search for a longevity drug.Strong moral values also pervade information, resulting in generally positive messages rooted in traditional values.Risks and bene®ts are communicated through the language of fear and hope.Southern traditional medicines, more popular amongst the elderly, are promoted as part of reliving Vietnamese culture, and remaining loyal to Ho Chi Minh's vision of the county's health system.Interestingly, drug companies are not seen as a direct source of most information, 50% of which are about Ministry of Health vaccination campaigns.Some useful observations on behaviour are also noted, such as patients taking inadequate doses of foreign antibiotics due to perceptions that they are high risk, and side eects often seen as a positive indication of the potency of a drug.Finer concludes that given the nature of media control in Vietnamese society, trust in the government is vital for trust in the source of information, sometimes referred to as `source credibility'.He considers that the jury still to be out on whether or not controlled or free media creates greater bene®ts with regard to drug consumption in a predominantly private market.This is clearly dicult to judge without some attempt to link behaviour with the various con®gurations of source, message content, medium of dissemination and receiver pro®le.Finer's call for more professional and independent journalism is a little naive, given that this is perhaps the most politically sensitive issue in the country.Much can be achieved in Vietnam without wholesale political change.Despite this, Finer provides a useful study, relevant to a broad range of countries.
Source: Health Expectations
Author: Margaret Holmes‐Rovner
Institution: Michigan State University
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1481701763