Health Magazines Research Articles

Letter from the Editor

Letter from the Editor Kevin M. Lerner Along with the beginning of volume 19, this issue of the Journal of Magazine Media, in many ways, also marks another beginning: the first issue of the journal published by the University of Nebraska Press. Getting to this point has been a very long process, and I want to thank all the people and organizations who made it possible. First, and most importantly, I want to thank the membership of the Magazine Media Division of the Association for Journalism and Mass Communication for supporting the transition from being a self-published, online-only, open-access journal to the journal you hold in your hands (or are reading online, having downloaded it from a database). Ted Spiker, Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin, Miglena Sternadori, and Susan Currie Sivek have all served at least partial terms as division head in the time that it took to research publishers, come to an agreement, and get all the paperwork signed; so thank you to all of them for their patience. Carol Schwalbe has been invaluable with technical help as well. Thank you to the Publications Committee and Executive Board of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication for facilitating this transition as well. And of course, the staff of this journal: Associate editor Joy Jenkins has been masterful in securing blind reviewers for our peer-reviewed research. Reviews editor Miglena Sternadori has been a terrific editor of our book reviews section. And two editorial assistants also deserve mention. Caroline Chan served in the role for more than two years and knows how this journal works even better than I do, and Analisa Caso is just starting out as Caroline's replacement. This issue of the Journal of Magazine Media is worth the long wait, however. Echoing the traditional three-part structure of a magazine, it opens with an intriguing front-of-the-book essay about the ways that we use magazines, by Susan Currie Sivek, in which she applies the Foucauldian concept of technologies of the self to magazine media. There are three pieces of peer-reviewed research here too: a multimodal investigation into the contradictions of magazine covers; a history of Mother Jones magazine and its role in establishing the norms of environmental reporting; and an [End Page vii] analysis of the covers of Yoga Journal, as it evolved from a focus on spirituality into something more of a health and lifestyle magazine. And there are six reviews as well in the back of the book. With this volume and our association with the University of Nebraska Press, the Journal of Magazine Media will resume twice-yearly publication, and we have adopted new editorial policies and submission practices. You can find more information about those on our website and on that of the University of Nebraska Press. We sincerely hope that you find this journal both vital to research into the magazine form—in whatever medium that may be—and also enjoyable. [End Page viii] Kevin M. Lerner Marist College kevin.lerner@marist.edu Copyright © 2019 Magazine Media Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication

ONLINE STRATEGY OF PRINTED MEDIA COMPANY (Case Study of www.nirmalamagazine.com)

The sixth most popular online activities according to Yahoo TNS Net Index 2010 is reading news online. This behavior change will significantly affect conventional media business, including print media. The purpose of this research is to describe online strategy applied by Nirmala magazine. This magazine is one of the health magazines that secured significant readership on 2005, but somehow decreased its popularity in the following years. Nirmala magazine developed their own website at 2009, with the URL www.nirmalamagazine.com. It also established social media accounts and sent email blasts The print media company will certainly benefit from a strategy when they go online, which allows them to obtain the optimum benefit for the business. For this research, the author used qualitative methodology, predominantly case study technique. Interview, document review, and field observation are the methods used to collect data. The results and data analysis led to the findings that Nirmala website, supported by social media account and email marketing program, are actually useful as the tools to support their existing business. There are several functions served by this online form, among others, marketing communication function, medium to attract online advertisement, online brand building, customer service, and relationship building. Unfortunately, this website is not managed properly. Lack of understanding about optimum benefit from online side, poor decision about target market, budget, infrastructure, strategy and online management team, and also lack of synergy with all business units are some weaknesses that require improvement.

Katalyst Pilot Study: Using Interactive Activities in Anatomy and Physiology to Teach Children the Scientific Foundation of Healthy Lifestyles.

This pilot study evaluated the impact of the Katalyst curriculum, a fifth-grade experiential learning program, on students’ knowledge of a healthy lifestyle’s impact on body functions. Katalyst’s interactive curriculum spans two days and includes four, 60-min stations on body systems: cardiovascular/endocrine, gastrointestinal, neurological, and respiratory/musculoskeletal. Three schools were recruited, and two schools completed the intervention sessions. Prior to beginning the stations, fifth-grade students completed a 37-item questionnaire to assess knowledge and perceptions. Students completed the same survey at the end of the Katalyst intervention. Teachers at the school also completed a survey post intervention to provide feedback on the program. Frequency and paired analyses were conducted on student responses and summative content analysis on teacher and volunteer feedback. The School 1 completer (n = 63) baseline mean knowledge score was 66.2%. The School 2 completer (n = 47) baseline mean knowledge score was 67.3%. Following the Katalyst intervention, both schools showed a statistically significant increase in the mean post score to 70.3% (p = 0.0017) and 78.4%(p < 0.0001) at School 1 (n = 63) and School 2 (n = 47), respectively. Teacher feedback (n = 7) revealed that Katalyst was effective in meeting state educational health standards and teachers perceived that the students benefitted from the program more than “reading about the body systems in a textbook or health magazine”. The Katalyst pilot study appeared to improve fifth-grade students’ knowledge of body systems and health. Katalyst aligned with state educational standards and is supported by teachers for an experiential learning opportunity. The Katalyst curriculum could be a potential avenue for health educators in Appalachia.

"Becoming the man you always wanted to be": Exploring the representation of health and masculinity in Men's Health magazine.

Men's health and lifestyle magazines are a popular medium through which hegemonic ideals of masculinity are displayed, influencing the way men behave and think about health (Crawshaw, 2007, Soc Sci Med, 65, 1606; Stibbe, 2004, Men Masc, 7, 31). This study conducted a critical discourse analysis of Australia's most popular men's health and lifestyle magazine, Men's Health, in order to understand how health is presented to men. Six issues were examined, from April 2016 to September 2016. Three themes supporting hegemonic masculine discourses were revealed: a forged physique, (hetero)sexual prowess and career dominance. A fourth theme, the new man, was also identified revealing a shift in attitudes towards nutrition and style. Despite this shift in the representation of masculinity, hegemonic ideals remain dominant in the construction of Australian masculinity in this popular men's health and lifestyle magazine. SO WHAT?: This study highlights the utility of Men's Health magazine in promoting health and brings into question whether the current representation of masculinity works towards improving or decreasing the health of Australian men.

Enhancing Selective Exposure to Health Messages and Health Intentions

Abstract. Insufficient message exposure is still a major obstacle for effective health communication activities, and little is known on how message features affect selective exposure and persuasion. This study examined the effects of two health message features, suggested susceptibility and gain–loss framing, on respondents’ selective exposure and subsequent health behavior intentions. Two personality traits, repression-sensitization and approach/avoidance motivation, were studied as moderators of the proposed relationships. An experimental 2 (suggested susceptibility: low vs. high) × 2 (gain–loss framing: gain- vs. loss-framed message) study was conducted. Participants browsed through an online health magazine while their message choices were unobtrusively logged. A subsequent online questionnaire assessed personality dispositions and behavioral intentions. High levels of message susceptibility increased both selective exposure to health messages and respondents’ motivation to engage in adaptive health behaviors. Gain–loss framing did not affect message exposure or behavioral intentions, with one exception: Avoidance-oriented low-anxious respondents selected more loss-framed than gain-framed articles for reading. Repression-sensitization and approach/avoidance motivation did not moderate health message effects, but partly influenced these measures directly or in combination. The number of articles to choose from was limited, and it is unclear to what extent the findings can be generalized to other, more familiar health topics. Emphasizing readers’ susceptibility to health threats appears very effective for increasing exposure to health messages and protective behavioral intentions. The effectiveness of gain–loss framing, by contrast, largely depends on moderating factors.

Pathogenic or health-promoting? How food is framed in healthy living media for women

In this paper, I investigate the contribution of healthy living blogs to discourse about healthy eating, seeking to understand how blogs compare to mass-media magazine sources. This is done by comparatively analysing 459 healthy living blog posts and 141 health and fitness magazine articles. These were collected between 2011 and 2013 and provide rich data about what food content looks like in media designed for an audience of American women. I analyze how each source establishes the purpose of healthy eating and what foods are considered part of a healthy diet. While both sites are embedded in an overarching discourse of healthy eating, there are important contrasts between the frames used and ideologies they draw from. The magazines largely frame food as pathogenic, emphasizing food's connection to overweight/obesity, positioning particular foods (‘scapegoat foods’) as related to weight gain, and encouraging restriction of these foods. In contrast, the blogs predominantly frame food as “salutogenic” meaning that it is capable of promoting health and wellbeing. The blogs position food as a conduit for pleasure and an inclusive, varied diet is modelled. The pathogenic frame in the magazines reflects values inherent to hegemonic anti-obesity ideology while the salutogenic frame in blogs reflects a Health at Every Size® ideology. This paper argues that healthy living bloggers are able to broaden the range of mainstream healthy eating discourses, albeit without critiquing the moralization of health or thinness, because of their race, class and body privilege.

Sağlık için Tüketimin Teşvik Edilmesinde Kaynak Olarak Dergiler: “Women’s Health” ve “Men’s Health” Dergileri Üzerine Bir Karşılaştırma

Health has become a popular subject and a leading feature for media in today’s world where healthy living has gained considerable importance. In fact, the audience is exposed to numerous advices and recommendations related to health through media messages that manipulate individuals to consume more in order to be healthy. On the other hand, it has been assumed that health magazines are more influential in terms of motivating people to consume more compared to other mass media. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the magazines “Women’s Health” and “Men’s Health” which have the highest circulation rate in 2016 in terms of leading readers to consume for a better health. It has been revealed that majority of the articles mentioning a specialist/doctor or hospital name in order to direct readers towards consumption related to their institutions was published in Women’s Health magazine.

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Global Scenario of Self Medication: A Review of Literature

Self ‐ medication can be defined as obtaining and consuming drugs without the advice of a physician for diagnosis, prescription or surveillance of treatment. Self-medication is widely practiced with varying dimensions in India and globally. A review of literature was conducted on various studies conducted in different geographies that focused on the practices of self-medication based on different factors like demography, gender, occupation, standard of living. To review the literature on self-medication practise globally and understand all the factors that is directly or indirectly related to the practice of self-medication. This paper helps in understanding various factors that affect self-medication practices like income, age, prior knowledge, education, occupation, gender, etc. Finally the study throws a light on practices of self-medication in India and in few other countries, explaining different causes, sources and reasons of self-medication. An extensive review of literature was undertaken in which 46 Studies conducted on self-medication practices and factors affecting self-medication were selected for the review purpose. The most common ailments for which self-medication are practiced are cold, fever and body & head ache. Analgesics, paracetamol and antibiotics are most prevalent drugs used for self-medication. The most common source of information regarding self-medication is personal experience and information from the credible source like chemist, friends and family. Information through commercial sources like health magazines and advertisements are not much relied on for self-medication. Also, the practice of self-medication is not related with the educational level of patients. Affordability, quick relief and less time consumption is the main reasons for which self-medication are practiced.

Features and Dimensions of Health Care Journalism: A Case Study on Spanish Free Magazines

More and more individuals are turning to the mass media in search of information related to health care. Moreover, health care accounts for an important percentage of modern economies and household expenses. Since the 1990s, this demand has been to a degree satisfied by free healthcare magazines that offer useful advice and information related to health services and wellness. As the article argues, Spain can be a representative case for analyzing the health care magazine phenomenon. Using a methodology based on quantitative and qualitative variables, the article synthesizes the results of a broader research project carried out between 2012 and 2015, focusing on the news content and advertising in three free health and wellness magazines aimed at the general public in Spain: El Periódico de la Farmacia (The Pharmacy Newspaper), Estar bien (Feeling Well), and Health 21 (Salud 21). The conclusions discuss the main features and dimensions of these publications from an educational and social viewpoint, considering their fight for survival in an environment conditioned by financial crisis, competition from online publications, and the decrease in advertising and marketing specializing in health.

Men's weight loss stories: How personal confession, responsibility and transformation work as social control.

Obesity is considered a public health concern. In Australia, there are a greater number of overweight or obese men compared with women. The media is an important source of information about body weight and weight management. We undertook a qualitative study to analyse men's weight loss stories in a popular men's magazine. Between January 2009 and December 2012, we collected 47 men's weight loss stories from the Australian edition of Men's Health magazine. We undertook thematic analysis to examine the stories. Confession, personal responsibility, appearance and transformation were key themes. The stories describe the men's self-discipline and their monitoring and tracking of their behaviours as activities which supported their weight loss. In this way, the stories promote the importance of such panoptic self-surveillance and self-discipline to the readers. We consider how such stories contribute to the wider synoptic system of media messages about body weight.

MERS-CoV infection: Mind the public knowledge gap.

In August 2015, the Corona outbreak caused by Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was the 9th episode since June 2012 in Saudi Arabia. Little is known about the public awareness toward the nature or prevention of the disease. The aim of this work was to assess the knowledge of the adult population in Riyadh toward the MERS-CoV.In this cross-sectional survey, a self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to randomly selected participants visiting malls in Riyadh. The questionnaire contained measurable epidemiological and clinical MERS-CoV knowledge level variables and relevant source of information.The study included 676 participants. Mean age was 32.5 (±SD 8.6) years and 353 (47.8%) were males. Almost all participants heard about the corona disease and causative agent. The study showed a fair overall knowledge (66.0%), less knowledge on epidemiological features of the disease (58.3%), and good knowledge (90.7%) on the clinical manifestation of the MERS-CoV. Internet was the major (89.0%) source of disease information, and other sources including health care providers, SMS, television, magazines and books were low rated (all <25%). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis age ≤30 years (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.647, 95%CI 1.048–2.584, P = 0.030), male gender (OR = 1.536, 95%CI 1.105–2.134, P = 0.01), and no tertiary education (OR = 1.957, 95%CI 1.264–3.030, P = 0.003) were independent significant predictors of poor epidemiological knowledge.This study concludes that there was inadequate epidemiological knowledge received by the public and the reliance mostly on the clinical manifestations to recognizing the MERS-CoV disease. Comprehensive public health education programs is important to increase awareness of simple epidemiological determinants of the disease is warranted.

Mechanisms of influence for weight loss in popular women’s health media: a content analysis of health and fitness magazines

ABSTRACTThe present study identifies persuasive message variables from social cognitive and persuasion theories in top-selling women’s health and fitness magazines. Findings from a content analysis of articles (n = 240) reveal that message efficacy, evidence types (narrative and statistical), and issue-relevant sources were widespread throughout the sample with at least one persuasive element appearing in 84% of the articles examined. Results suggest magazine messages may be instilling false confidence in one’s ability to achieve unattainable results through impractical strategies and time periods. The current study informs health message design by defining and operationalizing intrinsic message properties representing theoretical constructs central to health-behavior change.

The Human Face of Health News: A Multi-Method Analysis of Sourcing Practices in Health-Related News in Belgian Magazines

ABSTRACTHealth journalists are central gatekeepers who select, frame, and communicate health news to a broad audience, but the selection and content of health news are also influenced by the sources journalists, rely on (Hinnant, Len-Rios, & Oh, 2012). In this paper, we examine whether the traditional elitist sourcing practices (e.g., research institutions, government) are still important in a digitalized news environment where bottom-up non-elite actors (e.g., patients, civil society organizations) can act as producers (Bruns, 2003). Our main goal, therefore, is to detect whether sourcing practices in health journalism can be linked with strategies of empowerment. We use a multi-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. First, two content analyses are developed to examine health-related news in Belgian magazines (popular weeklies, health magazines, general interest magazines, and women’s magazines). The analyses highlight sourcing practices as visible in the texts and give an overview of the different stakeholders represented as sources. In the first wave, the content analysis includes 1047 health-related news items in 19 different Belgian magazines (March–June 2013). In the second wave, a smaller sample of 202 health-related items in 10 magazines was studied for follow-up reasons (February 2015). Second, to contextualize the findings of the quantitative analysis, we interviewed 16 health journalists and editors-in-chief. The results illustrate that journalists consider patients and blogs as relevant sources for health news; nonetheless, elitist sourcing practices still prevail at the cost of bottom-up communication. However, the in-depth interviews demonstrate that journalists increasingly consult patients and civil society actors to give health issues a more “human” face. Importantly, the study reveals that this strategy is differently applied by the various types of magazines. While popular weeklies and women’s magazines give a voice to ordinary citizens to translate complex issues and connect with their audiences, general interest magazines and health magazines prefer elite sources and use ordinary citizen stories as a way of “window dressing.”

Influence of a mini-trampoline rebound exercise program on insulin resistance, lipid profile and central obesity in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Exercises are important as an adjuvant for managing diabetes but due to fatigue and time constraints, individuals with diabetes may not engage in them. Jumping on a mini-trampoline referred to as rebound exercise is an aerobic activity used for exercise training benefits but only little research is available on its effects in diabetes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mini-trampoline rebound exercise on insulin resistance, lipid profile and central obesity in type 2 diabetics. Sixty non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetics (median age: 39.0 years, median body mass index: 25.2 kg/m2) recruited using convenience sampling were randomized to a rebound exercise group (N.=30) or a control group (N.=30). The control group read health magazines or watched television while the rebound exercise group jumped on a mini-trampoline at moderate intensity for 30 minutes three times per week for 12 weeks. Postrebound exercise, significant improvements in insulin resistance, lipid profile and waist circumference were noted when compared to the control (P<0.05). The values for high density lipoprotein cholesterol increased with low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin resistance decreasing significantly from baseline (P<0.05). The findings suggest that mini-trampoline rebound exercise is beneficial for individuals with type 2 diabetes and can serve as a useful exercise approach in the management of cardiovascular risk in diabetes.

Workplace Hazards for the Electrical Worker [Electrical Safety

Reports on types of electrical hazards that affect electrical workers. Electrical workers are exposed to many hazards in the workplace beyond shock and arc flash. It is important to keep up to date on all hazards when guiding workers in their jobs. I was reading one of the occupational health magazines and came across an article about the latest confinedspace regulations for the United States. Some quick Internet searching showed that a new set of regulations was published in late 2015 (Safety and Health Regulations for Construction: Confined Spaces in Construction, U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA). Presents these findings.

171: DISSEMINATION OF EVIDENCE BASED KNOWLEDGE ON METABOLIC SYNDROME (MS) FROM RESEARCH TO PRACTICE: BANGLADESH CONTEXT

Background and aims:Local context of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) is of central importance to reduce the public health concerns like metabolic syndrome and thus designing of proper strategies to...

‘Enhance her pleasure – and your grip strength’: Men’s Health magazine and pseudo-reciprocal pleasure

This paper provides a snapshot of the Top Ten free, digital Men’s Health magazine articles, accessed on a randomly selected day, that can be viewed as a collection; both a product for readership consumption and a construct of readership priorities. Through close textual analysis, we examine how discourses about masculinity, heterosex and consumerism have intersected to create a model of masculinity based on the discipline of male pleasure, which impacts on men’s approach to female pleasure and gender dynamics. The analysis contributes to the developing research about the sexual and bodily discourses the magazine promotes and identifies a model of masculinity where men can ‘have their cake and eat it’; seeming to adhere to ideals of gender equality and reciprocity while retaining their traditional patriarchal position of producer/provider. They are encouraged to do so by approaching female orgasm as a product, which they can ‘purchase’ through adhering to Men’s Health magazine’s sexual advice and bodily labour at control, delay and discipline of their own pleasure and orgasm. We argue that this approach to sex disenfranchises men, and in turn their partners, of opportunities to access alternative models of embodied pleasure.

‘Transing’ fitness and remapping transgender male masculinity in online message boards

There has been a recent growth of events and discourses related to transgender men’s health and fitness, including bodybuilding competitions, Olympics participation and appearances in Men’s Health Magazine. In addition, transgender men have formed Internet collectives to share information and support about fitness and transitioning. Based on a content analysis of a Reddit message board on transgender men’s fitness and interviews with transgender men, this paper argues that fitness is a ‘trans practice’, or means through which people may modify their bodies, personal identifications and genders. Transgender men engage in strategic fitness habits to pursue their ideals of the ‘male’ and ‘masculine’ body, illuminating both the stronghold and malleability of sex and gender norms. Simultaneously and recursively, they may share resources in virtual collectives, creating narratives that reflect and augment their ‘offline’ experiences, and transcend boundaries of space and time. This paper remaps transgender male masculinity by positioning online terrains as spaces in which sex, gender and the body are co-constructed. In addition to structural interventions to protect transgender people’s health and safety, I gesture towards possibilities in which all people may choose alternatives beyond institutionally and culturally defined borders of sex, gender and the ‘fit’ or ‘healthy’ body.

Fit Minded College Edition Pilot Study: Can a Magazine-Based Discussion Group Improve Physical Activity in Female College Freshmen?

Initial efficacy of a magazine-based discussion group for improving physical activity (PA), self-worth, and eating behaviors in female college freshmen. Randomized control trial. A large university in southwestern United States. Thirty-seven female college freshmen were randomized to the intervention (n = 17) and control groups (n = 20) in September 2013. Participants completed an 8-week magazine-based discussion group program, Fit Minded College Edition, adapted from Fit Minded, a previously tested theory-based intervention. Education on PA, self-worth, and nutrition was provided using excerpts from women's health magazines. Participants also had access to a Web site with supplementary health and wellness material. The control group did not attend meetings or have access to the Web site but received the magazines. Interventions focusing on concepts of self-worth with less focus on weight and appearance may promote long term PA participation and healthy eating behaviors in college women. Self-reported PA, global self-worth, knowledge self-worth, self-efficacy, social support, eating behaviors (ie, fruit/veggie/junk food/sugar-sweetened beverage consumption), satisfaction, and Web site usage. Mean age of participants was 18.11 (SD = 0.32) years. Time × Intervention effects were observed for PA minutes per week (Partial η = 0.34), knowledge self-worth (Partial η = 0.02), and daily sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (Partial η = 0.17) (P < .05), with the intervention group reporting greater increases in PA and knowledge self-worth and greater decreases in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. A magazine-based discussion group may provide a promising platform to improve health behaviors in female college freshmen.