title: Mass media health information: quantitative and qualitative analysis of daily press coverage and its relation with public perceptions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper describes the methods followed by the Pisa University OCS for collecting, storing and analyzing all health-related articles and database contents. Moreover, an example population survey on the topic of food safety based on such analysis is shown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Articles published each day since 1999 in Italy's three most popular newspapers are collected and stored in a Data Base Text; on these articles quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. On the basis of these results as well as of epidemiological data, a questionnaire survey was carried out about sources of information, knowledge and risk perception of citizens regarding food safety.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On a total of 24,434 articles on all health topics, 18% regarded food related hazards: their evolution over time showed peaks on BSE, avian flu and dioxin. A large proportion of the people surveyed declared having changed their food habits, at least temporarily, as a consequence of media information. Most get their information on food safety mainly from television. Most respondents remembered having previously heard news on BSE, avian flu and dioxin, but did not recall having heard of listeriosis, brucellosis or typhoid fever.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Newspapers articles facing food related hazards tend to be alarming thus affecting the citizens risk perception. On the other hand people often ignore how to manage their own food safety in a practical way.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analysis of media messages can help to evaluate and correct the negative effects that may result in wrong information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. acarducci@biologia.unipi.it
authors.forename: Annalaura
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alfani
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sassi
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cinini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calamusa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003142:Communication; D003625:Data Collection; D016208:Databases, Factual; D059022:Food Safety; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D007255:Information Services; D007558:Italy; D008490:Medical Informatics; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D010465:Perception; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012306:Risk