The role of mass media in changing health-related behaviour: a critical appraisal of two models

Abstract

The mass media are increasingly popular as a strategy for delivering preventive health messages. A review of the literature located 24 published evaluations of the effectiveness of mass media programmes in modifying cardiovascular risk behaviour or safety restraint use among adults. Many of these studies failed to meet basic methodological criteria and were excluded from the review. The remaining studies were found to provide little support for the implementation of mass-media programmes to modify health risk behaviours. When media-alone interventions designed to alter behaviour directly have been evaluated, they have been found to have little impact on behaviour. When the media have been used in an agenda-setting role in combination with a community component, significant changes in behaviour have been reported. However, there is currently no evidence that the media component makes a contribution to the effectiveness of such combined programmes. Future research needs are discussed.