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Lungu DA, Røislien J, Berg SH, Smeets I, Shortt MT, Thune H, Brønnick KK. Assessing the Effect of Nonvisual Information Factors in Pandemic-Related Video Communication: Randomized Controlled Between-Subjects Experiment. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e42528. [PMID: 37610820 PMCID: PMC10483294 DOI: 10.2196/42528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Videos have been an important medium for providing health and risk communication to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health officials, health care professionals, and policy makers have used videos to communicate pandemic-related content to large parts of the population. Evidence regarding the outcomes of such communication, along with their determinants, is however limited. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to test the impact of nonvisual information factors of video communication on 4 outcomes: trust, comprehension, intentions, and behavior. METHODS Twelve short health communication videos related to pandemics were produced and shown to a large sample of participants, applying a randomized controlled between-subjects design. Three factors were included in the creation of the videos: the topic (exponential growth, handwashing, and burden of pandemics on the health care system), the source (expert and nonexpert), and a call to action (present or absent). Participants were randomly assigned to 1 video intervention, and 1194 valid replies were collected. The data were analyzed using factorial ANOVA. RESULTS The 3 pandemic-related topics did not affect trust, comprehension, intentions, or behavior. Trust was positively influenced by an expert source (2.5%), whereas a nonexpert source instead had a positive effect on the proxy for behavior (5.7%) compared with the expert source. The inclusion of a call to action had a positive effect on both trust (4.1%) and comprehension (15%). CONCLUSIONS Trust and comprehension in pandemic-related video communication can be enhanced by using expert sources and by including a call to action, irrespective of the topic being communicated. Intentions and behavior appear to be affected to a small extent by the 3 factors tested in this study. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/34275.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Adrian Lungu
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Department of Quality and Health Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Jo Røislien
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Department of Quality and Health Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Siv Hilde Berg
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Department of Quality and Health Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Ionica Smeets
- Science Communication and Society, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marie Therese Shortt
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Department of Quality and Health Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Henriette Thune
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Department of Quality and Health Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Kolbjørn Kallesten Brønnick
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Department of Quality and Health Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
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Abstract
While animal biodiversity is declining globally, cultural representations of animals are highly prevalent in society and play an increasing part in shaping children's perceptions of animal diversity. We studied animal portrayals in children's picture books in the Netherlands, and coded over 2,200 animals from 217 award-winning books. We found a strong bias toward vertebrates, mammals in particular. Mammals were featured more often than other animals, played more prominent roles in the story, and were visually and textually specified more strongly. Furthermore, exotic and domestic species outnumbered native species. Picture books currently are likely to reinforce children's perceptions toward only a small part of animal biodiversity. While we realize that picture books have other primary aims, picture book makers could be inspired and encouraged to diversify and specify their portrayals of the natural world. This would broaden children's perceptions of the animal kingdom and could help foster lasting connections to biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Jan Dirk Hooykaas
- Michiel Jan Dirk Hooykaas, Science Communication and Society, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | - Menno Schilthuizen
- Leiden University, The Netherlands; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, The Netherlands
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Evers AWM, Colloca L, Blease C, Gaab J, Jensen KB, Atlas LY, Beedie CJ, Benedetti F, Bingel U, Büchel C, Bussemaker J, Colagiuri B, Crum AJ, Finniss DG, Geers AL, Howick J, Klinger R, Meeuwis SH, Meissner K, Napadow V, Petrie KJ, Rief W, Smeets I, Wager TD, Wanigasekera V, Vase L, Kelley JM, Kirsch I. What Should Clinicians Tell Patients about Placebo and Nocebo Effects? Practical Considerations Based on Expert Consensus. Psychother Psychosom 2021; 90:49-56. [PMID: 33075796 DOI: 10.1159/000510738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Clinical and laboratory studies demonstrate that placebo and nocebo effects influence various symptoms and conditions after the administration of both inert and active treatments. OBJECTIVE There is an increasing need for up-to-date recommendations on how to inform patients about placebo and nocebo effects in clinical practice and train clinicians how to disclose this information. METHODS Based on previous clinical recommendations concerning placebo and nocebo effects, a 3-step, invitation-only Delphi study was conducted among an interdisciplinary group of internationally recognized experts. The study consisted of open- and closed-ended survey questions followed by a final expert meeting. The surveys were subdivided into 3 parts: (1) informing patients about placebo effects, (2) informing patients about nocebo effects, and (3) training clinicians how to communicate this information to the patients. RESULTS There was consensus that communicating general information about placebo and nocebo effects to patients (e.g., explaining their role in treatment) could be beneficial, but that such information needs to be adjusted to match the specific clinical context (e.g., condition and treatment). Experts also agreed that training clinicians to communicate about placebo and nocebo effects should be a regular and integrated part of medical education that makes use of multiple formats, including face-to-face and online modalities. CONCLUSIONS The current 3-step Delphi study provides consensus-based recommendations and practical considerations for disclosures about placebo and nocebo effects in clinical practice. Future research is needed on how to optimally tailor information to specific clinical conditions and patients' needs, and on developing standardized disclosure training modules for clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea W M Evers
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, .,Erasmus University Rotterdam & Delft University of Technology, Rotterdam/Delft, The Netherlands,
| | - Luana Colloca
- Departments of Pain Translational Symptoms Science and Anesthesiology, School of Nursing and Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Charlotte Blease
- General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jens Gaab
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karin B Jensen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lauren Y Atlas
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institute of Mental Health, and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Chris J Beedie
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Fabrizio Benedetti
- Physiology and Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
| | - Ulrike Bingel
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jet Bussemaker
- Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Colagiuri
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alia J Crum
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | - Andrew L Geers
- Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA
| | - Jeremy Howick
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Regine Klinger
- Center for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie H Meeuwis
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Meissner
- Division of Health Promotion, University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany
| | - Vitaly Napadow
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Keith J Petrie
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Winfried Rief
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ionica Smeets
- Science Communication and Society, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | | | - Lene Vase
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - John M Kelley
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Program in Placebo Studies, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Irving Kirsch
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Program in Placebo Studies, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Røislien J, O'Hara JK, Smeets I, Brønnick K, Berg SH, Shortt MT, Lungu DA, Thune H, Wiig S. Creating effective, evidence-based video communication of public health science (the COVCOM study): Protocol for a sequential mixed methods effect study (Preprint). JMIR Res Protoc 2021; 11:e34275. [PMID: 35147500 PMCID: PMC8919988 DOI: 10.2196/34275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The nonlinear nature of contagious diseases and the potential for exponential growth can be difficult to grasp for the general public. This has strong implications for public health communication, which needs to be both easily accessible and efficient. A pandemic is an extreme situation, and the accompanying strict societal measures are generally easier to accept if one understands the underlying reasoning behind them. Bringing about informed attitude change and achieving compliance to strict restrictions requires explanations of scientific concepts and terminologies that laypersons can understand. Objective The aim of the project is to develop effective, evidence-based modes of video communication for translating complex, but important, health messages about pandemics to both the general population and decision makers. The study uses COVID-19 as a case to learn and prepare society for handling the ongoing and future pandemics, as well as to provide evidence-based tools for the science communication toolbox. Methods The project applies a mixed methods design, combining qualitative methods (eg, interviews, observational studies, literature reviews) and quantitative methods (eg, randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). The project brings together researchers from a wide range of academic fields, as well as communication industry professionals. Results This study has received funding from the Trond Mohn Foundation through the Research Council of Norway’s “COVID-19 Emergency Call for Proposals” March 2020. Recruitment and data collection for the exploratory first phase of the project ran from February 2021 to March 2021. Creative communication work started in May 2021, and the production of videos for use in the RCTs in the final phase of the project started in September 2021. Conclusions The COVCOM project will take on several grand challenges within the field of communicating science and provide evidence-based tools to the science communication toolbox. A long-term goal of the project is to contribute to the creation of a more resilient health care system by developing communication responses tailormade for different audiences, preparing society for any future pandemic. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/34275
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Røislien
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Jane K O'Hara
- School of Healthcare, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Ionica Smeets
- Science Communication and Society, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Kolbjørn Brønnick
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Siv Hilde Berg
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Marie Therese Shortt
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Daniel Adrian Lungu
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Henriette Thune
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Siri Wiig
- SHARE - Centre for Resilience in Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
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Evers AWM, Colloca L, Blease C, Gaab J, Jensen KB, Atlas LY, Beedie CJ, Benedetti F, Bingel U, Büchel C, Bussemaker J, Colagiuri B, Crum AJ, Finniss DG, Geers AL, Howick J, Klinger R, Meeuwis SH, Meissner K, Napadow V, Petrie KJ, Rief W, Smeets I, Wager TD, Wanigasekera V, Vase L, Kelley JM, Kirsch I. "Consensus on Placebo and Nocebo Effects Connects Science with Practice:" Reply to "Questioning the Consensus on Placebo and Nocebo Effects". Psychother Psychosom 2021; 90:213-214. [PMID: 33631769 DOI: 10.1159/000514435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea W M Evers
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, .,Erasmus University Rotterdam & Delft University of Technology, Rotterdam/Delft, The Netherlands,
| | - Luana Colloca
- Departments of Pain Translational Symptoms Science and Anesthesiology, School of Nursing and Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Charlotte Blease
- General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jens Gaab
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karin B Jensen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lauren Y Atlas
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institute of Mental Health, and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Chris J Beedie
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Fabrizio Benedetti
- Physiology and Neuroscience, University of Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy
| | - Ulrike Bingel
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jet Bussemaker
- Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Colagiuri
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alia J Crum
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | | | - Andrew L Geers
- Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA
| | - Jeremy Howick
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Regine Klinger
- Center for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Helena Meeuwis
- Health, Medical and Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Meissner
- Division of Health Promotion, University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany
| | - Vitaly Napadow
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Keith J Petrie
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Winfried Rief
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ionica Smeets
- Science Communication and Society, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | | | - Lene Vase
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - John M Kelley
- Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Irving Kirsch
- Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Cheplygina
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Felienne Hermans
- Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Software Engineering Research Group, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Casper Albers
- Heymans Institute for Psychological Research, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Natalia Bielczyk
- Stichting Solaris Onderzoek en Ontwikkeling, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ionica Smeets
- Science Communication and Society, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Bossema FG, Burger P, Bratton L, Challenger A, Adams RC, Sumner P, Schat J, Numans ME, Smeets I. Expert quotes and exaggeration in health news: a retrospective quantitative content analysis. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 4:56. [PMID: 31346551 PMCID: PMC6619368 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15147.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This research is an investigation into the role of expert quotes in health news, specifically whether news articles containing a quote from an independent expert are less often exaggerated than articles without such a quote. Methods Retrospective quantitative content analysis of journal articles, press releases, and associated news articles was performed. The investigated sample are press releases on peer-reviewed health research and the associated research articles and news stories. Our sample consisted of 462 press releases and 668 news articles from the UK (2011) and 129 press releases and 185 news articles from The Netherlands (2015). We hand-coded all journal articles, press releases and news articles for correlational claims, using a well-tested codebook. The main outcome measures are types of sources that were quoted and exaggeration of correlational claims. We used counts, 2x2 tables and odds ratios to assess the relationship between presence of quotes and exaggeration of the causal claim. Results Overall, 99.1% of the UK press releases and 84.5% of the Dutch press releases contain at least one quote. For the associated news articles these percentages are: 88.6% in the UK and 69.7% in the Netherlands. Authors of the study are most often quoted and only 7.5% of UK and 7.0% of Dutch news articles contained a new quote by an expert source, i.e. one not provided by the press release. The relative odds that an article without an external expert quote contains an exaggeration of causality is 2.6. Conclusions The number of articles containing a quote from an independent expert is low, but articles that cite an external expert do contain less exaggeration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francien G. Bossema
- Department of Science Communication and Society, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Computational Imaging, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Burger
- Media Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Luke Bratton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | | | - Petroc Sumner
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Joop Schat
- Department Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mattijs E. Numans
- Department Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ionica Smeets
- Department of Science Communication and Society, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Bossema FG, Burger P, Bratton L, Challenger A, Adams RC, Sumner P, Schat J, Numans ME, Smeets I. Expert quotes and exaggeration in health news: a retrospective quantitative content analysis. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 4:56. [PMID: 31346551 PMCID: PMC6619368 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15147.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This research is an investigation into the role of expert quotes in health news, specifically whether news articles containing a quote from an independent expert are less often exaggerated than articles without such a quote. Methods Retrospective quantitative content analysis of journal articles, press releases, and associated news articles was performed. The investigated sample are press releases on peer-reviewed health research and the associated research articles and news stories. Our sample consisted of 462 press releases and 668 news articles from the UK (2011) and 129 press releases and 185 news articles from The Netherlands (2015). We hand-coded all journal articles, press releases and news articles for correlational claims, using a well-tested codebook. The main outcome measures are types of sources that were quoted and exaggeration of correlational claims. We used counts, 2x2 tables and odds ratios to assess the relationship between presence of quotes and exaggeration of the causal claim. Results Overall, 99.1% of the UK press releases and 84.5% of the Dutch press releases contain at least one quote. For the associated news articles these percentages are: 88.6% in the UK and 69.7% in the Netherlands. Authors of the study are most often quoted and only 7.5% of UK and 7.0% of Dutch news articles contained a new quote by an expert source, i.e. one not provided by the press release. The relative odds that an article without an external expert quote contains an exaggeration of causality is 2.6. Conclusions The number of articles containing a quote from an independent expert is low, but articles that cite an external expert do contain less exaggeration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francien G. Bossema
- Department of Science Communication and Society, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Computational Imaging, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Burger
- Media Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Luke Bratton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | | | - Petroc Sumner
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Joop Schat
- Department Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mattijs E. Numans
- Department Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ionica Smeets
- Department of Science Communication and Society, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Schat J, Bossema FG, Numans ME, Smeets I, Burger P. [Exaggerated health news: association between exaggeration in university press releases and exaggeration in news media coverage]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2018; 162:D1936. [PMID: 30295017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine how often press releases and news articles contain exaggeration and to locate its origin in the trajectory from research paper to news article. DESIGN Retrospective quantitative content analysis. METHOD We analysed press releases on health-related research published by Dutch universities and university medical centres in 2015 (n = 129) as well as news media articles related to those press releases (n = 185). RESULTS 20% of press releases and 29% of news articles exaggerated the conclusion or causal claim. Explicit health advice was, when present, exaggerated in 7% of press releases and 10% of news articles. When press releases exaggerated the conclusion or causal claim, 92% of associated news articles contained the same exaggeration. When the conclusion was not exaggerated in the press release, 6% of the news articles was exaggerated. The relative chance for exaggerated news associated with exaggerated press releases was 16.08 (95% CI: 7.35-35.18). Exaggerated press releases were associated with news articles more frequently. The relative chance for news articles to be associated with exaggerated press releases vs. a non-exaggerated press release was 1.45 (95% CI: 1.02-2.04). CONCLUSION Exaggeration in health-related news is strongly correlated with exaggeration in the original press release and occurs in more than 1 in 5 articles. Monitoring and, if necessary, improving the accuracy and correctness of academic press releases seem to be important measures to improve the quality of health related news. UNLABELLED Conflict of interest and financial support: I. Smeets is a columnist with one of the newspapers investigated. She was not involved in collecting, coding and analysing the relevant data. Additional potential conflicts of interest have been reported for this article. ICMJE forms provided by the authors are available online along with the full text of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joop Schat
- Wetenschapsstagiair, LUMC, afd. Public Health en Eerstelijnsgeneeskunde, Leiden. (thans: anios, Alrijne Ziekenhuis, afd. Interne geneeskunde, Leiderdorp)
| | - Francien G. Bossema
- Onderzoeksgroep Science Communication and Society, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden
| | - Mattijs E. Numans
- Huisarts, LUMC, afd. Public Health en Eerstelijnsgeneeskunde, Leiden en LUMC-Campus Den Haag
| | - Ionica Smeets
- Wetenschapsjournalist, Onderzoeksgroep Science Communication and Society, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden
| | - Peter Burger
- Journalist, Mediastudies/Journalistiek en Nieuwe Media, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden
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Visentin F, Ganzina F, Smeets I, Biggi M. 73 P - Oral idarubicin (OIDA) in elderly patients (pts) with acute myelogenous Leukemia (AML): An opportunity? Eur J Cancer 1996. [DOI: 10.1016/0959-8049(96)84827-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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11
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Lutgerink JT, van den Akker E, Smeets I, Pachen D, van Dijk P, Aubry JM, Joenje H, Lafleur MV, Retèl J. Interaction of singlet oxygen with DNA and biological consequences. Mutat Res 1992; 275:377-86. [PMID: 1383778 DOI: 10.1016/0921-8734(92)90040-v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
To study the interaction of singlet oxygen (1O2) with DNA and the biological consequences of 1O2-induced DNA damage, we used the thermodissociable endoperoxide of 3,3'-(1,4 naphthalidene) dipropionate (NDPO2) as a generator of free 1O2 in reactions with (1) 2'-deoxynucleoside 3'-monophosphates (dNps), (2) an oligonucleotide (16-mer) having one deoxyguanine (dG), (3) native and denaturated rat kidney DNA and (4) single-stranded (ss) and double-stranded (ds) bacteriophage M13mp10 DNA. Using both anion exchange and reversed phase HPLC and 32P-postlabeling analyses, it was found that exposure of the various dNps to chemically generated 1O2 led to a detectable reaction with dGp and not with dAp, dCp, d5mCp or Tp. The reaction with dGp led to degradation of this nucleotide and the formation of a large number of reaction products, one of which could be identified as 7-hydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine 3'-monophosphate (8-oxo-dGp). A second product could tentatively be identified as a formamido pyrimidine derivative of dGp (Fapy-dGp). When ss DNA, ds DNA or the oligonucleotide were exposed to 1O2, the formation of 8-oxo-dG could also be demonstrated. With the oligonucleotide, we found a so far unidentified reaction product. Under the same reaction conditions the yield of 8-oxo-dG was about 8-fold higher in ss DNA than in ds DNA. In ss DNA 8-oxo-dG seemed to be a more prominent product than in the case of reaction of 1O2 with free dGp. Reaction of 1O2 with ss or ds M13mp10 DNA led to biological inactivation of these DNAs, ss DNA being at least 100-fold more sensitive than ds DNA. It could be concluded that inactivation of the ss DNA must be largely due to 1O2-induced DNA lesions other than 8-oxo-dG. In agreement with the observed preferential reaction of 1O2 with dG most of the so far sequenced mutations, induced by 1O2 in a 144 bp mutation target sequence inserted in the lacZ alpha gene of ss or ds M13mp10 DNA, occurred at a G or G/C base pair respectively. A preference for G(C) to T(A) transversions can be observed for which 8-oxo-dG might have been responsible. In ss DNA a significant number of the mutations are characterized by the fact that a G is deleted.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Lutgerink
- Department of Health Risk Analysis and Toxicology, University of Limburg, Maastricht, Netherlands
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