Media Influences on Health

commentary

How Truth Decay Is Fueling Vaccine Hesitancy

A recent poll found that more than a quarter of Americans will not try to get vaccinated. The spread of misinformation and disinformation, which is rampant over social media, is one of the factors fueling vaccine hesitancy. And in turn, it's threatening our ability to end the pandemic for good.

Jennifer Kavanagh

commentary

Meghan Markle May Avoid the Spotlight After Giving Birth and Send a Powerful Public Health Message

Meghan Markle plans to break from royal tradition by declining to present her baby to the public on the the steps of the maternity ward, hours after giving birth, with flawless hair and makeup. This could bring attention to many of the postpartum challenges faced by women everywhere.

Sarah MacCarthy

q&a

How Marijuana Ads Affect Youth: Q&A with Elizabeth D'Amico

RAND's Elizabeth D'Amico discusses her research on how medical marijuana advertising influences adolescents' use of—and positive attitudes toward—the drug. Los Angeles County used her findings to limit the placement of marijuana billboards and signage outside dispensaries.

commentary

Does Social Media Depression in Young People Really Exist?

What are the mental health risks to adolescents and young adults from the use of social media? And how can young people and social media companies manage these risks?

Lucy Hocking

blog

How RAND Helped Cable TV Spread Far and Wide

In the late 1960s and early '70s, RAND released a series of reports about cable television — the technology, federal and state regulation, and its use in education. The researchers' interactive vision for cable TV was a lot like the internet.

commentary

What Works in Early Life to Prevent Tobacco and Alcohol Addiction?

Tobacco and alcohol addiction are widespread public health risks across the European Union. Both merit tackling at a young age. Evidence-based, early interventions are available that can be applied in small-scale settings to prevent underage alcohol and tobacco abuse.

Daniel Schweppenstedde

commentary

Snuffing Out China's Deadly Habit

To help address China's smoking problem, China's parliament is considering a ban on all tobacco ads except those at point-of-sale retail locations. How does this compare to the current state of play regarding Chinese tobacco ads? And could the new law shift the tobacco-control landscape?

Min Gong, William G. Shadel

commentary

Dutch and UK Adolescents See More Alcohol Advertising on TV Than Adults

Adolescents in the UK and the Netherlands (but not in Germany) see more alcohol adverts on television, per hour of television watched, than adults. These differences result from the different viewing times, channels watched, and the placement of adverts.

Eleanor Winpenny

commentary

Where There's Vapor, Is There Fire? We Need Evidence on E-Cigarettes

Currently, evidence for the safety, harmfulness, utility, and addictiveness of e-cigarettes is lacking. The questions that research needs to answer, however, are clear as day—particularly since business is booming.

William G. Shadel, Joan S. Tucker, et al.

blog

CVS and the Effect of In-Store Tobacco Displays on Smokers

CVS Caremark will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products at its CVS/pharmacy stores beginning Oct. 1. Though it stands to lose $2 billion dollars in annual revenue, CVS CEO Larry J. Merlo said that selling tobacco products is at odds with the company's mission of improving health outcomes.

commentary

'Tis the Season to Be Wary

During the holiday season, a time when overindulgence is a tradition for many, food marketing creates especially serious challenges for people trying to limit their intake and make careful decisions about healthier eating.

Deborah A. Cohen

blog

What Effect Does Media Have on Youth?

American youth live in an environment saturated with media. What effects does this have on their health and well-being?

commentary

The Super Bowl Halftime Show Should Not Be Promoting a Public Health Threat

People who consume just one or two sugar-sweetened drinks a day have a 26 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely drink these beverages, write Kristin Van Busum and Lauren Hunter.

Kristin R. Van Busum, Lauren E. Hunter