Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2849

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Prather J, Fidell LS.
Sex differences in the content and style of medical advertisements.
Soc Sci Med 1975 Jan; 9:(1):23-6

Abstract:

An analysis of drug advertisements from four leading American medical journals was performed to determine if content and style were related to the sex of the patient portrayed. Content differences emerged in that advertisements for psychoactive drugs tended to show women while those for nonpsychoactive drugs showed men. Within the psychoactive drug category alone, women were shown with diffuse emotional symptoms, while men were shown with anxiety because of pressures from work or from accompanying organic illness. Stylistic differences were also found. The parallel relationship between the advertising, physician attitudes and rates of psychotropic drug usage by women was discussed.

Keywords:
Advertising* Age Factors Attitude of Health Personnel Diagnostic Errors Drug Utilization Female Humans Male Physicians Prescriptions, Drug Psychotropic Drugs* Publishing Sex Factors Societies, Medical United States *analytic survey/United States/journal advertisements/ images in ads/ men/ psychotropic drugs/ women/ sexism/ quality of prescribing/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/IMAGES IN PROMOTION: MEN/IMAGES IN PROMOTION: WOMEN/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION IN SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC AREAS: PSYCHIATRIC DISEASES