Abstract
BackgroundWidespread metaphors contribute to the public’s understanding of health. Prior work has characterized the metaphors used to describe cancer and AIDS. Less is known about the metaphors characterizing cardiovascular disease.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to characterize the metaphors that Twitter users employ in discussing hypertension and diabetes.MethodsWe filtered approximately 10 billion tweets for keywords related to diabetes and hypertension. We coded a random subset of 5000 tweets for the presence of metaphor and the type of metaphor employed.ResultsAmong the 5000 tweets, we identified 797 (15.9%) about hypertension or diabetes that employed metaphors. When discussing the development of heart disease, Twitter users described the disease as a journey (n=202), as transmittable (n=116), as an object (n=49), or as being person-like (n=15). In discussing the experience of these diseases, some Twitter users employed war metaphors (n=101). Other users described the challenge to control their disease (n=34), the disease as an agent (n=58), or their bodies as machines (n=205).ConclusionsMetaphors are used frequently by Twitter users in their discussion of hypertension and diabetes. These metaphors can help to guide communication between patients and providers to improve public health.
Highlights
Communicating About Health Through Metaphors Humans often communicate about health using metaphors
When discussing the development of heart disease, Twitter users described the disease as a journey (n=202), as transmittable (n=116), as an object (n=49), or as being person-like (n=15)
JMIR Diabetes 2018 | vol 3 | iss. 4 | e11177 | p. 1 million Americans, less is known about the metaphors used by patients to describe heart disease [6]
Summary
Communicating About Health Through Metaphors Humans often communicate about health using metaphors. Prior work has focused on characterizing metaphors used to describe patients’ experience of cancer, tuberculosis, and HIV [3,4,5]. 1 (page number not for citation purposes) million Americans, less is known about the metaphors used by patients to describe heart disease [6]. Characterizing these metaphors might inform patient-provider communication by promoting understanding of the public’s framing of disease. Metaphors can help us understand higher-order cultural frameworks about ways that the world works. Prior work has characterized the metaphors used to describe cancer and AIDS. Less is known about the metaphors characterizing cardiovascular disease
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