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Media Influences on Health

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The media—everything from television, radio, and film to games, advertising, and social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter—can have significant impacts on individual and population health. Exposure to media, especially among youth, may affect health behaviors such as substance use, sexual activity, and eating habits.

Report
Tracking News Manipulation by Malicious State Actors
During the pandemic, both Russia and China used authoritarian power over the media to manipulate the news. What can be done to better detect such propaganda campaigns—and guard against them in the future?
Nov 15, 2021
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.
May 14, 2021

Explore Media Influences on Health

Commentary
The Precarious Transition of Unvaccinated Service Members
U.S. service members separated from the military for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine were largely separated with a general discharge under honorable conditions. While they may be eligible for health care and disability compensation from the VA, they are not eligible for G.I. Bill benefits. How have they fared as they entered civilian society unvaccinated and with limited benefits?
Dec 19, 2022
Commentary
Split-Screen Pandemic Recovery Isn't Sustainable
In a world connected by commerce and the air we breathe, it's hard to see how any COVID-19 recovery that's confined to specific segments of the population is sustainable. Failing to address gaps in the pandemic response would run the risk that a future mutation of this virus could send us scurrying for cover. Again.
Jul 20, 2021
News Release
Public Trust of the Centers for Disease Control Falls During Coronavirus Pandemic
Public trust in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has fallen during the coronavirus pandemic, with the decline bringing overall population-level trust in the agency to the same lower level of trust long held by Black Americans about the agency.
Apr 5, 2021
Report
Trust in the CDC Declined During the COVID-19 Pandemic
From May to October 2020, some Americans lost trust in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drop in trust was particularly significant among people who intended to vote for a candidate other than Joe Biden in the 2020 election or did not intend to vote at all. This suggests that views of the CDC are now strongly politicized.
Apr 5, 2021
Multimedia
Overcoming Hurdles to Herd Immunity
RAND senior physician policy researcher Mahshid Abir describes several hurdles to achieving herd immunity to COVID-19, including the politicization of the vaccine and the spread of misinformation.
Jan 8, 2021
Report
Cross-Agency Evaluation of DoD, VA, and HHS Mental Health Public Awareness Campaigns: Analysis of Campaign Scope, Content, and Reach
This report evaluates efforts by four public awareness campaigns to overcome negative perceptions and promote awareness of mental health disorders and their treatment, with a focus on military and veteran populations.
Jan 29, 2020
Research Brief
Evaluating Public Awareness Campaigns to Promote Military and Veteran Mental Health
This brief describes the results of an interim evaluation that examined the scope, content, and dissemination of mental health public awareness campaigns. RAND researchers conducted a comprehensive evaluation of four such efforts.
Jan 29, 2020
Research Brief
Make the Connection: Findings and Recommendations
This brief is one in a series examining mental health public awareness campaigns' messages, consistency of messaging in their materials, and tools used to deliver content to audiences. This brief discusses materials from the Make the Connection.
Jan 29, 2020
Research Brief
Real Warriors Campaign: Findings and Recommendations
This brief is one in a series examining mental health public awareness campaigns' messages, consistency of messaging in their materials, and tools used to deliver content to audiences. This brief discusses materials from the Real Warrior Campaign.
Jan 29, 2020
Research Brief
Veterans Crisis Line: Findings and Recommendations
This brief is one in a series examining mental health public awareness campaigns' messages, consistency of messaging in their materials, and tools used to deliver content to audiences. This brief discusses materials from the Veterans Crisis Line.
Jan 29, 2020
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.
Apr 11, 2019
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.
Aug 21, 2018
Journal Article
SOVA: Design of a Stakeholder Informed Social Media Website for Depressed Adolescents and Their Parents
An online behavioral intervention for depressed adolescents and parents includes two moderated social media websites (one for adolescents, one for parents); both use similar content and both leverage the benefits of social media tools.
Jun 28, 2018
Journal Article
Persistence of Shifts in Beliefs Associated With Exposure to Alcohol Advertising Among Adolescents
Youths are exposed to an average of three alcohol ads per day-and black and Hispanic youths' exposure is roughly double that of white youths—and the effect of a single exposure can last up to two days.
Jun 21, 2018
Research Brief
Drinking It In: The Impact of Alcohol Advertising on Kids
On average, adolescents see three alcohol ads per day. Exposure to these ads led youth to view alcohol and drinking more positively.
May 23, 2018
Journal Article
Showing Adolescents Graphic Anti-Smoking Posters May Encourage Some to Try Smoking
Exposing teens to graphic anti-smoking posters may actually increase the risk that some start smoking. Some teens who viewed a poster depicting gruesome displays of smoking-caused diseases actually reported being more susceptible to cigarette smoking after viewing the displays during a shopping trip.
Feb 13, 2018
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?
Feb 6, 2018
Journal Article
Effects of Antismoking Media on College Students' Smoking-Related Beliefs and Intentions
Among college students, anti-smoking media messages appear to shift the beliefs and intentions of experimental smokers, a group that is at high risk of becoming regular smokers.
Jan 25, 2018

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Rebecca L. Collins

Chair, RAND Human Subjects Protection Committee

Rebecca Collins is chair of the RAND Human Subjects Protection Committee and a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. Her research examines the determinants and consequences of health risk behavior. Currently, she is studying the effectiveness of publically-funded social marketing…
Elizabeth L. Petrun Sayers

Behavioral and Social Scientist

Elizabeth "Liz" L. Petrun Sayers is a behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation. She has experience researching risk-related topics and studies how traditional and new media shape risk perceptions, decisionmaking, and behaviors. Her current research focuses on understanding how…

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