Breast Cancer in the Media: Agenda-Setting and Framing Effects of Prevalent Messages on College-Aged Women
Year: 2013
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study investigated the potential effects of breast cancer media messages on young women, a population that has the potential to make lifestyle changes early enough to prevent the disease.Based on framing and agenda-setting theories, a web survey focused on the relationships between the characteristics of prevalent breast cancer media messages and respondents' levels of breast health knowledge, breast health behaviors, and the direct behavioral impact of such messages (i.e. to take specific breast health protective actions).The agendasetting statistical analysis revealed that college-aged women are most likely to have encountered prevalent breast cancer messages on social networking sites or television advertisements within the last one to six months.The most frequently perceived purposes of such messages are fundraising or to create awareness.Those who believe the main point of their most memorable message is to fundraise are significantly less behaviorally impacted by it than those whose message attempts to create awareness.The framing statistical analysis revealed that loss-framed messages have a significantly higher behavioral impact on participants and are more associated with detective breast health behaviors than gain-framed ones.Prevalent messages are more likely to employ anecdotal than statistical evidence to support their main points, although statistical evidence is associated with a higher behavioral impact.Finally, nearly 75 percent of participants have made a "pink" purchase within the past year, while just a third made plain monetary donations or volunteered at breast cancer events in the same time frame.In total, these results confirm that breast cancer is high on the health agenda of college-aged women, that the format of prevalent breast cancer messages does make a difference in the potential impact they may make, and that the most prominent quality of breast cancer to this group of women is its commerciality.These results expand both agenda-setting and framing theories to better understand the differential effects of messages and images in a health advertising context.Based on such findings, practitioners should encourage the sponsors of prevalent breast cancer media messages to alter their content for the good of society.In future, scholars must continue to study how key aspects of prevalent media messages may be altered to reduce the incidence of breast cancer and other preventable diseases.v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For the start of a professional career, I must first thank my dissertation committee.My advisor, Dr. Terry Rentner, must be applauded for giving both her time and guidance.Dr. Rentner shared her expertise in health communication, her experience in scholarly research, and her support in me while working on this dissertation.Dr. Louisa Ha was also extremely influential in the development of this project, lending a much-needed knowledge of survey method and statistical analysis.Dr. Sandra Faulkner provided an alternative perspective on quantitative research that allowed this endeavor to be better balanced and more widely accepted within the academic community.Finally, Dr. Cynthia Ducar graciously reviewed drafts at each stage of the process, providing very informative feedback, and helped keep the group's interest and enthusiasm high.If my dissertation committee served as crewmates on this voyage, then my family must be likened to the ship on which I have been carried.My loving husband, Richard, endured both my triumphs and tribulations, all while attending medical school.And, when he heard enough, my mom, Shannon, never turned away an ear to help me keep perspective.Her willingness to open her checkbook when our debts outweighed our assets also made this joint journey for higher education possible-we will pay you in future vacations!Finally, my dad, Frank, enabled this entire pursuit by providing me with
Author: Sarah Henize
Institution: Bowling Green State University
Language: English
Topic: Media Influence and Health
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1960698207