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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.

Research Brief

Drinking It In: The Impact of Alcohol Advertising on Kids

May 23, 2018

On average, adolescents see three alcohol ads per day. Exposure to these ads led youth to view alcohol and drinking more positively.
Q&A

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

Aug 21, 2018

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.

Explore Media Influences on Health

Journal Article

Exposure of Youth to Online Alcohol Marketing

The rise in online marketing of alcohol, combined with the high use of social media websites by young people, suggests that web marketing is an area requiring further monitoring and regulation.

Jan 1, 2013
Journal Article

Journal Article

Outdoor Advertising, Obesity, and Soda Consumption: A Cross-Sectional Study

There is a relationship between the percentage of outdoor food advertising and overweight/obesity.

Jan 1, 2013
Journal Article

Media Influence on Adolescent Alcohol Use

Media exposure related to alcohol or other drugs may affect adolescents' alcohol use. However, media literacy education may help.

Jan 1, 2013
Journal Article

Influence of Pro-Smoking Media Messages Can Last for Seven Days

College students documented their exposure to pro-smoking media messages during their normal routine over a three-week period. After exposure to just one, their smoking intentions immediately increased by an average of 22 percent. Smoking intentions decreased with each passing day but remained elevated for seven days.

Jan 1, 2013
Journal Article

The Effects of Tobacco Marketing

Viewing tobacco ads in retail locations may be associated with higher smoking risk. The tobacco industry has begun using these promotions more than traditional channels, such as billboards and magazines.

Jan 1, 2013
Journal Article

Journal Article

Middle and High Schools Students' Exposure to Alcohol- and Smoking-Related Media: A Pilot Study Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

The goals of this study were to assess the feasibility of using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to measure adolescents' exposure to alcohol and smoking-related media.

Jan 1, 2013
Journal Article

British and Dutch Teens See More Alcohol Ads than Adults Do

Adolescents in the Netherlands and the UK are more exposed to television alcohol advertising than adults, according to RAND Europe research, an effect not seen in Germany. The study looked at exposure to alcohol advertising and content of televised adverts in these three countries. An exploration of online alcohol marketing in the UK found high potential for adolescent exposure to alcohol marketing through social media websites.

Sep 1, 2012
Journal Article

Journal Article

Motives for Smoking in Movies Affect Future Smoking Risk in Middle School Students: An Experimental Investigation

Exposure to movies that portray motivations for smoking places adolescents at particular risk for future smoking.

Jun 1, 2012
Report

Report

A Matrix of New Media Use Measures and Brief Media Survey

The authors developed this matrix of measures to summarize the state of measurement in the arena of new media use and its potential relationship with adolescent sexual risk behavior and sexual health and set the stage for further research efforts.

Mar 19, 2012
Report

Report

Research Gaps and Measurement Challenges for Studying the Influence of New Media on Adolescent Sexual Health

An expert panel was convened to develop a working knowledge base about the use of new media (the Internet, social networking sites, cell phones, online video games, MP3 players) among adolescents and the potential impact on their sexual health.

Jan 24, 2012
Journal Article

Journal Article

Relationships Between Adolescent Sexual Outcomes and Exposure to Sex in Media: Robustness to Propensity-Based Analysis

A reanalysis of data from earlier studies continues to show associations between sex in the media and adolescent sexual outcomes. The evidence does not prove causality but suggests cautions for parents.

Mar 1, 2011
Journal Article

Journal Article

Measuring Exposure to Protobacco Marketing and Media: A Field Study Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

College students were exposed to protobacco marketing through multiple channels in a relatively short period: Exposures occurred primarily in the afternoon (42%), on weekends (35%), and at point-of-purchase locations (68%) or in movies/TV (20%), and exposures to Marlboro, Newport, and Camel represented 56% of all exposures combined and 70% of branded exposure.

Jan 1, 2011
Journal Article

Journal Article

Association Between Adolescent Viewership and Alcohol Advertising on Cable Television

This study found that cable TV ad placements on for beer, spirits, and alcopops increased as adolescent viewership rose from 0% to 30%, especially for female viewers.

Mar 1, 2010
Journal Article

Journal Article

Perceived Seriousness of Seasonal and A(H1N1) Influenzas, Attitudes Toward Vaccination, and Vaccine Uptake Among U.S. Adults: Does the Source of Information Matter?

Information campaigns made more adults concerned about a pandemic, but didn't reassure them sufficiently about H1N1 vaccine safety and effectiveness that they got the vaccine.

Jan 1, 2010
Journal Article

Journal Article

Condom Use and High-Risk Sexual Acts in Adult Films: A Comparison of Heterosexual and Homosexual Films

The authors compared the prevalence of condom use during a variety of sexual acts portrayed in adult films produced for heterosexual and homosexual audiences to assess compliance with state Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations.

Jan 1, 2009
Journal Article

Journal Article

Linking Media Content to Media Effects: The RAND Television and Adolescent Sexuality Study

This book chapter explores approaches to examining connections between media content and behavior, using a RAND study of media effects on adolescent teen sexual behavior as an example.

Jan 1, 2008
Journal Article

Journal Article

Media Multitasking: Issues Posed in Measuring the Effects of Televison Sexual Content Exposure

Adolescents who see more sexual content on television are more likely to initiate intercourse over the subsequent year.

Jan 1, 2008
News Release

News Release

Adolescents Who Listen to a Great Deal of Music with Degrading Sexual Lyrics Have Sex Sooner

August 7, 2006 News Release: RAND Study Finds Adolescents Who Listen to a Great Deal of Music with Degrading Sexual Lyrics Have Sex Sooner.

Aug 7, 2006
Journal Article

Adolescents Who Listen to Degrading Sexual Lyrics Have Sex Sooner

The more time adolescents spend listening to music with sexually degrading lyrics, the more likely they are to initiate intercourse and other sexual activities. This holds true for boys and girls as well as for whites and nonwhites.

Jan 1, 2006
Journal Article

Journal Article

Sex on Television and Its Impact on American Youth: Background and Results from the RAND Television and Adolescent Sexuality Study

Discusses the results of several new studies based on the RAND Television and Adolescent Sexuality data set.

Jan 1, 2005

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