[Media treatment of messages on weight loss products by the Association for Public Health of Quebec and its reception].
BACKGROUND
The results of a study on weight loss products and services were released during a press conference organized by the Association pour la santé publique du Québec (ASPQ). The media widely covered this press conference. The purpose of this article is to answer the question: "How are messages emitted by public health institutions transmitted by the media and received by the population?"


METHODS
The transcripts of the press conference, the press release as well as 43 documents from the print and broadcast media were evaluated according to a press analysis method. The analysis of these documents was based on the concept of the information unit. The compilation of these information units was used to produce charts which include data such as the frequency, partiality, weight tendency ("poids-tendance") and tendency-impact ("tendance-impact"). Furthermore, two focus groups of persons using weight loss products and services were conducted.


RESULTS
In this article, we compare the emitted message with the one transmitted. The analysis of the message emitted by the ASPQ and that conveyed by the media revealed that for almost all subjects dealt with during the press conference, the media have been more partial than the ASPQ. The media not only expanded on the emitted message but also gave a negative image of weight loss products and services. Furthermore, the message transmitted by the media was very similar to the initial message. The focus groups on how the message was received by persons using weight loss products and services also revealed that the message was lost in the flow of information on weight loss products and services.


CONCLUSIONS
This analysis of the emitted, transmitted and received messages has given us some indications on how to readjust the initial message and on what to emphasize in future press conferences.
Renaud
Lise
L
Groupe de recherche médias et santé, Université du Québec à Montréal. renaud.lise@uqam.ca
Bouchard
Caroline
C
Mongeau
Lyne
L
Maisonneuve
Danielle
D
Caron-Bouchard
Monique
M
Moreau
Denise
D
Dubé
Laurette
L
Gagnon
Sylvie
S
D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D011639:Public Opinion; D011792:Quebec; D015431:Weight Loss