How do regular viewers of prime time TV dramas respond to health information in the shows?
Vicki Beck, MS, CDC Entertainment Education Program, 3005 Via Conquistador, Carlsbad, CA 92009, 760-431-6765, vcb6@cdc.gov and William E. Pollard, PhD, Office of Communication, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., N.E, Mail Stop D42, Atlanta, GA 30333. New data from the 2000 national Healthstyles survey indicates televison is a major source of health information for regular viewers of prime time dramas more than any other source cited. Given the mass audiences drawn to prime time drama, the findings suggest a key channel for disease prevention messages developed through health education strategies and health communications planning at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly half of all respondents said they watch prime time dramas on a regular basis (two or more times a week) and nearly half of this group learned something about a disease or how to prevent it in the past year from the shows. Well over a third took some action as a result. The fin
