Health‐Relevant Behaviors in Media¹

Abstract

The content of the past decade's (1977–1988) most popular films is analyzed for trends in portrayals of multiple health practices (cigarette smoking, over‐the‐counter or prescription drug use, illegal drug use. alcohol consumption, leisure‐time physical activity, and poor eating habits) as well as model characteristics and consequences associated with health‐related lifestyle. The results reveal a recent upsurge in depictions of several risky habits, yet few portrayals of direct adverse consequences. There was a particular tendency for males and minorities to be shown engaged in behaviors detrimental to their health. The social learning, public health, and social policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Television and Music Video Exposure and Risk of Adolescent Alcohol Use

“…For example, in a survey of televised college and professional sports events from 1990 through 1992, alcohol-related commercials accounted for 77% of all beverage commercials, at an average rate of 1.5 alcohol advertisements per hour. 12 In contrast, alcohol is portrayed less frequently in popular movies, 18 and alcohol advertising is absent when viewing videos in a VCR. Alcohol use and alcohol advertising also are unlikely to be encountered in computer and video games played by adolescents.…”

Smoking in the Movies Increases Adolescent Smoking: A Review

“…8 Until the mid-1990s, the number of smoking occurrences in films increased with the rating of the film, with R-rated movies featuring significantly more smoking than G-, PG-, or PG-13-rated films. 7,9,21,24 In films between 1988 and 1997, R-rated films featured significantly more tobacco use by major characters (81%) than G-rated (54.6%), PG-rated (53.1%), and PG-13-rated (64%) films. 11 Beginning in the mid-1990s, the MPAA began to "down-rate" movies, 27 resulting in PG-13 ratings for many films that would have previously been rated R. This "ratings creep" also shifted the presentation of smoking incidents from mostly R-rated movies to teen-rated (PG-13) movies.…”

“…11,24 In contrast to true smokingprevalence patterns, which tend to be concentrated among people with lower socioeconomic status, 29 smoking movie characters are primarily male, white, and from upper socioeconomic brackets. 7,11,13,[16][17][18]20 From the 1960s through the 1990s, the prevalence of smoking by major movie characters remained ϳ3 times that of comparable (high-socioeconomic-status) people in the actual population. 16,17 Smoking is often portrayed with drinking 8,10,11 and other risky behaviors.…”

“…Studies involved all top-grossing films [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] (generally the top 20 or 50 each year) or random samples drawn from top-grossing films. 4,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Results did not seem to vary according to the sampling frame; therefore, they will be combined in the discussion.…”

Sex and Drugs in Popular Movies: An Analysis of the top 200 Films

“…19 This was due to their inclusion of any alcohol consumption and any use of over-the-counter or prescription medicines. This is the first study to demonstrate both the tendency to depict the use of these drugs in a positive light and not to depict any consequences arising from the use of these drugs contrasting with Terre et al 34 Interestingly cannabis tended to be used by younger characters and injected drug use was absent, perhaps reflecting the target audiences.…”