Health News: Believe it or Not

Vitamin D Deficiency May Cause MS Employees Working Long Hours Face Increased Risk of Stroke Coffee Could Literally be a Lifesaver When you see these health headlines do you immediately think of how it pertains to you or someone you know?  You probably don’t think, “I should make sure this information is from a reputable source,” or “I should read that research article that this information is based on and ask my clinician about it.” Health care reporting is complicated and has its challenges.  Many journalists do not have the background or education in health and science and are just as uninformed as the public.  They must rely on what they read in the research, what the researchers are telling them, or what is written in a press release that a public relations agency provides.  Often, journalists face tight deadlines that do not allow for in-depth investigation or must comply with commercial pressure to heighten interest or even direct a sales pitch associated with the story. If it seems that the problem is the journalists’ and the news agencies that employ them, it isn’t that simple.  A study by BMJ revealed that, in health-related press releases, 40% of press releases contained exaggerated advice.  BMJ also found that 36% of the press releases gave the impression that a study’s findings were for humans, when no humans were used in the study.  The BMJ also found that rates of exaggeration were significantly higher in n...
Source: Dragonfly - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: Health Literacy/Consumer Health Source Type: news