Changes in newspaper coverage about hormone therapy with the release of new medical evidence.
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.
Haas
Jennifer S
JS
Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02120-1613, USA. jhaas@partners.org
Geller
Berta
B
Miglioretti
Diana L
DL
Buist
Diana S M
DS
Nelson
David E
DE
Kerlikowske
Karla
K
Carney
Patricia A
PA
Breslau
Erica S
ES
Dash
Sarah
S
Canales
Mary K
MK
Ballard-Barbash
Rachel
R
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