which magazines do teenagers read in the waiting room and what

WHICH MAGAZINES DO TEENAGERS READ
IN THE WAITING ROOM AND WHAT HEALTH
MESSAGES ARE THEY READING?
Dr Hilary Marcer
Specialist Registrar in Community Child Health
YOU’RE WELCOME
•
•
You're Welcome quality criteria sets out principles
that will help health services (including non-NHS
provision) become young people friendly
By 2020, the Department of Health hopes all
health services regularly used by young people –
including all school and Further Education based
services – will carry the You’re Welcome quality
mark, a sign that they are young people friendly.
THE WAITING ROOM ENVIRONMENT –
THE IDEAL
“The waiting areas are young people friendly,
comfortable and welcoming, and there is
appropriate reading material for young people. This
information is checked and ‘refreshed’ regularly to
ensure that it is kept up to date”
THE REALITY
THE WAITING ROOM ENVIRONMENT – THE
REALITY
METHODS
We asked 24 teenagers between the ages of 12 and
18 which magazines they would like to see in
hospital waiting rooms. Then we bought a selection
and analysed them for health content.
TYPES OF MAGAZINE
Gossip – OK, Heat, Hello, Now
‘Teen’ – Mizz, Sugar, Bliss, Shout
Sport – Match
Car/Bike - Mountain Bike Action, BMX Mag
Music – Kerang
Other – e.g. animals, soap operas
TYPES OF MAGAZINES REQUESTED
12
No. of teenagers
10
8
6
Girls
Boys
4
2
0
Gossip
Teen
Sport Car/Bike Music
Type of Magazine
Other
AGE AT WHICH MAGAZINES WERE READ
18yrs
Age of teenagers
17yrs
16yrs
15yrs
gossip mags
teen mags
14yrs
13yrs
12yrs
0
1
No of teenagers
2
TEEN MAGAZINES
Shout
Child Protection – article about internet grooming in chat rooms
Advice about heavy periods
How to beat Mood Swings
Mizz
Advice page covering topics including: pubic hair, nose bleeds, sore breasts, cellulite, normal
growth
‘Say no to smoking’ article
Helpline numbers for FRANK, Youngminds, Sexwise
Bliss
‘The truth about Sex’ article
Diet tips for a healthy diet
Advice about starting periods, spots and breasts
GOSSIP MAGAZINES
Hello
Article about seasonal affective disorder
Heat
No health content
OK
‘How to eat and still lose weight’
‘How to avoid a winter cold’
Now
‘Am I drinking too much?’
‘Are you depressed?’
Diet news – be thin by Friday
MUSIC/SPORT/BIKE MAGAZINES
Match
No health content
BMX Mag
No health content
Mountain Bike
‘How to prevent injury if you fall off your bike’ – positive
message about wearing cycle helmets
Kerang
Humorous anti-health content
NOW MAGAZINE
THE JADE GOODY EFFECT
THE JADE GOODY EFFECT
Sheffield Primary Care Trust has confirmed that in one
recent week 750 women had smear tests instead of the
usual 250. Anecdotal reports from other areas suggest a
similar surge in activity.
Cancer Research UK says publicity surrounding the
celebrity’s diagnosis has prompted a dramatic leap in
visits to the cervical cancer pages of the charity’s patient
information website.
Before Jade was diagnosed, the total number of pages
viewed daily on this topic was around 2000 to 3000. On
the day news of her diagnosis broke in August last year
this number jumped to over 32 000.
BMJ Feb 2009
THE EFFECT OF THE KYLIE EFFECT
USE OF BREAST CANCER SCREENING AND TREATMENT IN
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN FOLLOWING KYLIE MINOGUE’S BREAST
CANCER DIAGNOSIS
Following Kylies diagnosis there was a 20%
increase in breast screening in young women (age
25-44)
The volume of biopsies increased but the number
of confirmed breast cancers did not change
“Demonstrates that both patients and doctors are
susceptible to behaviour change in response to
celebrity health events”
International Journal of Epidemiology
May 2008
BOYS
KERANG’S AGONY UNCLE!
THE KERANG AGONY UNCLE
Advice about drinking:
“Give in to peer pressure and drink your a**e off”
Managing relationships with parents:
“put some Viagra in your parent’s eggnong. Spike
your mum’s drink with Xanax”
KEY MESSAGES
Young people would like to see appropriate
magazines in the hospital/clinic waiting rooms
Magazines aimed at teenagers offer good quality
health advice but are only read largely by younger
teenage girls
Boys miss out on health information obtained
through magazines
KEY MESSAGES
Celebrity stories may provide an opportunity for
health professionals to engage with young people
and convey important health messages but it is vital
that the message is managed effectively in order to
avoid unnecessary panic and misinformation.