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Images of illness: how causal claims and racial associations influence public preferences toward diabetes research spending.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gollust, SE; Lantz, PM; Ubel, PA
Published in: Journal of health politics, policy and law
December 2010

Despite the salience of health disparities in media and policy discourse, little previous research has investigated if imagery associating an illness with a certain racial group influences public perceptions. This study evaluated the influence of the media's presentation of the causes of type 2 diabetes and its implicit racial associations on attitudes toward people with diabetes and preferences toward research spending. Survey participants who viewed an article on genetic causation or social determinants of diabetes were more likely to support increased government spending on research than those viewing an article with no causal language, while participants viewing an article on behavioral choices were more likely to attribute negative stereotypes to people with diabetes. Participants who viewed a photo of a black woman accompanying the article were less likely to endorse negative stereotypes than those viewing a photo of a white woman, but those who viewed a photo of a glucose-testing device expressed the lowest negative stereotypes. The effect of social determinants language was significantly different for blacks and whites, lowering stereotypes only among blacks. Emphasizing the behavioral causes of diabetes, as is common in media coverage, may perpetuate negative stereotypes. While drawing attention to the social determinants that shape these behaviors could mitigate stereotypes, this strategy is unlikely to influence the public uniformly.

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Published In

Journal of health politics, policy and law

DOI

EISSN

1527-1927

ISSN

0361-6878

Publication Date

December 2010

Volume

35

Issue

6

Start / End Page

921 / 959

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • White People
  • United States
  • Stereotyping
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Public Opinion
  • Photography
  • Middle Aged
  • Mass Media
  • Male
 

Citation

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Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Gollust, S. E., Lantz, P. M., & Ubel, P. A. (2010). Images of illness: how causal claims and racial associations influence public preferences toward diabetes research spending. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 35(6), 921–959. https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-2010-034
Gollust, Sarah E., Paula M. Lantz, and Peter A. Ubel. “Images of illness: how causal claims and racial associations influence public preferences toward diabetes research spending.Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law 35, no. 6 (December 2010): 921–59. https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-2010-034.
Gollust SE, Lantz PM, Ubel PA. Images of illness: how causal claims and racial associations influence public preferences toward diabetes research spending. Journal of health politics, policy and law. 2010 Dec;35(6):921–59.
Gollust, Sarah E., et al. “Images of illness: how causal claims and racial associations influence public preferences toward diabetes research spending.Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, vol. 35, no. 6, Dec. 2010, pp. 921–59. Epmc, doi:10.1215/03616878-2010-034.
Gollust SE, Lantz PM, Ubel PA. Images of illness: how causal claims and racial associations influence public preferences toward diabetes research spending. Journal of health politics, policy and law. 2010 Dec;35(6):921–959.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of health politics, policy and law

DOI

EISSN

1527-1927

ISSN

0361-6878

Publication Date

December 2010

Volume

35

Issue

6

Start / End Page

921 / 959

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • White People
  • United States
  • Stereotyping
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Public Opinion
  • Photography
  • Middle Aged
  • Mass Media
  • Male