title: Changes in newspaper coverage about hormone therapy with the release of new medical evidence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Results of 2 trials of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) challenged established practice patterns; 1 was not associated with changes in HT use, whereas the other was associated with substantial decline. Differential coverage by lay newspapers may have contributed to the differential impact.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine newspaper coverage of HT before and after the publication of the Heart and Estrogen Replacement Study (HERS) in August 1998, and the main findings of the estrogen plus progestin therapy arm of the Women's Health Initiative (EPT-WHI) in July 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal review of newspaper articles, 1998 to 2003 (n=663).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty local and 6 regional/national newspapers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Number and content of articles about HT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average number of articles about HT published during the month of the publication of the EPT-WHI was at least 8-fold greater than the number of articles published on the topic during any prior period. While the majority of articles in all periods presented information about the potential benefits of HT, information about harms became more common than information about benefits during the 2 months before the publication of the EPT-WHI, when the trial participants were notified of the early termination of the study. The presentation of specific health harms was more common after the publication of the EPT-WHI than after the publication of HERS. Few articles in any period used visual aids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The publication of the EPT-WHI was associated with a change in both the volume and content of newspaper coverage about HT.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02120-1613, USA. jhaas@partners.org
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Berta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geller
authors.forename: Diana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Miglioretti
authors.forename: Diana S M
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Buist
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kerlikowske
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.forename: Erica S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Breslau
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dash
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Canales
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ballard-Barbash
mesh_terms: D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D008875:Middle Aged; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States