Taking a hard look at the Heart Truth campaign in Canada: A discourse analysis.
The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation launched the Heart Truth campaign to increase women's awareness of heart disease. However, little is known about how such campaigns intersect with broader understandings of gender and health. This discourse analysis examined the construction of gender, risk, and prevention within campaign material. Two primary discourses emerged: one of acceptable femininity, which outlines whose risk, survivorship, and prevention matters, and another of selfless prevention. Women of diverse ethnic, sexual, and socio-economic background were largely absent. Prevention was portrayed as a personal choice, eclipsing conversations about social determinants of health and the socio-political context of heart disease.
1 The University of Waikato, New Zealand.
Marianne I
MI
Clark
2 Laurentian University, Canada.
Kerry R
KR
McGannon
3 The University of Alberta, Canada.
Tanya R
TR
Berry
3 The University of Alberta, Canada.
Colleen M
CM
Norris
3 The University of Alberta, Canada.
Wendy M
WM
Rodgers
3 The University of Alberta, Canada.
John C
JC
Spence
D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D057227:Femininity; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D016387:Women's Health
coronary heart disease; critical health psychology; media; risk; women’s health