TV Advertising, Corporate Power, and Latino Health Disparities

Analysis of Spanish-Language News Reports on Schizophrenia and Psychosis

OBJECTIVE

Stigma toward individuals with schizophrenia and psychosis has been widely studied in the general population, but research on Spanish-language news media coverage of these mental disorders in the Latinx population is limited. The authors aimed to examine how schizophrenia and psychosis are commonly presented in U.S. Spanish-language news media, focusing on stigmatizing stereotypes, recovery themes, and the use of best practices for reporting on mental health issues.

METHODS

A content analysis was conducted of reports from two leading U.S. Spanish-language news outlets, Univision and Telemundo, and from the newspaper database U.S. Hispanic Newsstream. The searches included articles published from August 1, 2012, to August 1, 2022, and included keywords related to schizophrenia and psychosis.

RESULTS

In total, 108 news articles were identified and coded. Several types of stigmatizing stereotypes were observed, including portraying a person with schizophrenia or psychosis as violent, suicidal, incompetent, or weak. Only 20 news articles included at least one recovery theme, with educational information about schizophrenia or psychosis being the most common. Most articles used person-first language when referring to people with these conditions, but few articles included information about treatment options or where and how to seek mental health care.

CONCLUSIONS

More studies should emphasize the importance of U.S. Spanish-language news outlets offering linguistically and culturally appropriate information on treatment options and where and how to access mental health care. Studies focusing on recovery and treatment for schizophrenia and psychosis are needed to combat public mental health stigma in the Latinx population.

Communication Policy to Reduce Health Disparities: A Cross-Language Content Analysis of YouTube Television Advertising

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to identify disparate health-related marketing across English- and Spanish-language television networks in New York City, ultimately to inform policy that can counteract disproportionate health-related marketing that provides harmful content to and withholds beneficial information from Latinx populations.

METHODS

A 2-week composite sample of primetime English-language (National Broadcasting Company and Columbia Broadcasting System) and Spanish-language (Telemundo and Univision) television networks from YouTube television was randomly drawn from September 7, 2022 to September 27, 2022 in New York City. A total of 9,314 health-related television advertisements were identified for systematic media content analysis and coded into categories: alcohol, core or noncore foods/beverages, mental health/tobacco prevention, health insurance, medical centers, and pharmaceuticals. Analyses conducted in 2022-2024 included intercoder reliability and descriptive and rate difference estimates using total advertisement broadcasting time in the full sample and subsamples by language networks on YouTube television.

RESULTS

Spanish television networks broadcast greater health-adverse advertisements per hour for alcohol (rate difference=4.91; 95% CI=3.96, 5.85) and noncore foods/beverages (rate difference=13.43; 95% CI=11.52, 15.34) and fewer health-beneficial advertisements per hour for mental health/tobacco prevention (rate difference= -0.99; 95% CI= -1.45, -0.54), health insurance (rate difference= -1.00; 95% CI= -1.44, -0.57), medical centers (rate difference= -0.55; 95% CI= -1.23, 0.12), and pharmaceuticals (rate difference= -5.72; 95% CI= -7.32, -4.11) than New York City primetime English television networks.

CONCLUSIONS

Multilevel policy innovation and implementation are required to mitigate primetime television marketing strategies that contribute to health inequities.

Mechanisms of mental illness anti-stigma messaging matter: Leveraging mental health communication inequities among Latinx populations to understand what works and what we can do better

BACKGROUND

Since 1950, public communication about the neurobiological-psychosocial basis of mental illness from the diathesis-stress model has promoted reception to treatment yet violent/dangerous stereotypes have increased during this period. Moreover, public mental health communication efforts have predominantly diffused in English-language media, excluding Spanish/Latinx media and its consumers from these efforts. To inform future mental health communication strategies, this study leverages high versus low diffusion of public mental health communication across English and Spanish/Latinx media to examine public mental health communication effects on stigma and treatment beliefs via neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs.

METHODS

A quota sample of 2058 U.S.-based Latinx residents ages 13-86 with diverse language/cultural media preferences was recruited to self-complete a survey about mental health information acquisition in 2021. Assessments ascertained frequency of Spanish/Latinx and English media use and mental health content scanning and seeking (α = 0.86-0.94); and items from the General Social Survey about mental illness neurobiological-psychosocial causal beliefs (α = 0.72)-genetics, brain chemistry, environment, stress; treatment beliefs-mental illness improves with treatment or on its own; and stigma beliefs-violent/dangerous and bad character stereotypes and unwillingness to socialize with a person with mental illness. Structural equation models estimated total, direct, and indirect effects of Spanish/Latinx and English media exposures on treatment and stigma beliefs via neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs, net individual/family factors.

RESULTS

Spanish/Latinx media reduced, while English media increased, neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs (p < 0.01). Neurobiological-psychosocial beliefs, in turn, increased treatment and stigma beliefs (p < 0.01), simultaneously. Indirect pathways were also significant (p < 0.05). Proportion mediated on treatment beliefs was one-third for Spanish/Latinx and two-thirds for English media. Proportion mediated on stigma beliefs for all media exposures averaged ≥1.

CONCLUSIONS

While consumers of Spanish/Latinx media report lower neurobiological-psychosocial knowledge that impedes treatment beliefs, consumers of English media report greater neurobiological-psychosocial and treatment knowledge and, consequently, more stigma. Innovation in public mental health communication is needed to counter stigma and health inequity.

Characteristics of commercial determinants of health research on corporate activities: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Business practices have influenced human health for centuries, yet an overarching concept to study these activities across nations, time periods, and industries (called 'the commercial determinants of health' (CDH)) has emerged only recently. The purpose of this review was to assess the descriptive characteristics of CDH research and to identify remaining research gaps.

METHODS

We systematically searched four databases (Scopus, OVID Medline, Ovid Embase, and Ovid Global Health) on Sept 13, 2022 for literature using CDH terms that described corporate activities that have the potential to influence population health and/or health equity (n = 116). We evaluated the following characteristics of the literature: methods employed, industries studied, regions investigated, funders, reported conflicts of interest, and publication in open-access formats.

RESULTS

The characteristics of the articles included that many were conceptual (50/116 articles; 43%) or used qualitative methods (37; 32%). Only eight articles (7%) used quantitative or mixed methods. The articles most often discussed corporate activities in relation to the food and beverage (51/116; 44%), tobacco (20; 17%), and alcohol industries (19; 16%), with limited research on activities occurring in other industries. Most articles (42/58 articles reporting a regional focus; 72%) focused on corporate activities occurring in high-income regions of the world.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that literature that has used CDH terms and described corporate practices that influence human health has primarily focused on three major industries in higher-income regions of the world. Qualitative methods were the most common empirical method for investigating these activities. CDH-focused investigations of corporate practices conducted by less-studied industries (e.g., social media) and in lower-income regions are recommended. Longitudinal quantitative studies assessing the associations between corporate practices and a range of health outcomes is also a necessary next step for this field.

Trends in Sugar From Packaged Foods and Beverages Purchased by US Households Between 2002 and 2020

BACKGROUND

Excess sugar consumption is a public health concern in the United States. How sugar purchases have changed over time, whether there are disparities across subpopulations, and the contribution of various food groups are unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To assess trends in sugar from packaged foods and beverages purchased by US households between 2002 and 2020.

DESIGN

This is an open cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

We obtained data from the NielsenIQ U.S. Homescan Consumer Panel, which collects data on household purchases of all consumer packaged goods in 52 metropolitan and 24 non-metropolitan markets across the United States. We assessed data on food and beverage purchases for 1,163,447 household-years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcomes are the total sugar in grams purchased per capita per day and percentage of calories from sugar, by sociodemographic group.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

We used linear regression to estimate trends in total grams of sugar per capita per day, percentage of calories from sugar, and percentage of total sugar purchases by food or beverage group. We estimated means for select years and tested for significance compared with 2002 and with the previous timepoint and calculated the overall P-value for the linear trend using time series regression.

RESULTS

Total sugar purchases decreased over the study period, both in absolute terms (-37.2 g/capita/day; 95% confidence interval [CI], -38.7, -35.6) and as a percentage of total calories purchased (-5.3 percentage points; 95% CI, -5.5, -5.2). Sugar purchases declined for all sociodemographic groups, but disparities have persisted or widened, particularly among individuals who are non-Hispanic Black, low-income, and with lower educational attainment. Beverages' contributions to sugar purchases decreased 8.1 percentage points (95% CI, -8.4, -7.8).

CONCLUSION

In the United States, purchases of sugar declined, but disparities by socioeconomic status and race or ethnicity persisted or widened. Policies to further reduce sugar consumption and the burden of diet-related disparities are needed.

Measuring media-related health and mental health information acquisition among Latino adults in the United States

OBJECTIVES

We developed and evaluated new media-related health information acquisition measures for U.S.-based Latino populations.

METHODS

In 2021, a sample of U.S.-based Latino adults (N = 1574) self-completed a 20-min survey of health information acquisition measures across three language/cultural dimensions: Spanish media, Latino-tailored media in English, and general media in English. Socio-demographics were also ascertained. Means and standard deviations for the health acquisition measures were adjusted for age and sex and reported across nativity status.

RESULTS

The sample was diverse across age, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, migration, and language competency. Internal consistency reliability of developed scales was excellent overall and within age, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic subgroups (Cronbach's alphas = 0.86-0.94). English media scales had higher means overall indicating higher prolonged quantity (i.e., dosage) than Spanish media scales. In contrast, standard deviations for Spanish media scales were higher overall indicating broader reach at lower doses than English media scales.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest English-language media is popular among Latino populations overall. However, Spanish-language media retains broad reach through both passive and active exposure. Our findings demonstrate the value of including more nuanced measurement of health information acquisition such as the scales developed in this study to improve health promotion among Latino populations.