Are you ‘woman enough’ to control your leading cause of death?: an ethnographic content analysis of women’s cardiovascular disease and identities in media narratives

Qualitative Research in Psychology

Volumn 13, Issue 2, 2016, Pages 130-148

  Gonsalves, Christine A ^a   McGannon, Kerry R ^a   Schinke, Robert J ^a   Michel, Ginette ^a  

^a LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

Cardiovascular disease; health campaign; qualitative media analysis; women

Indexed keywords

EID: 84961199130     PISSN: 14780887     EISSN: 14780895     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/14780887.2015.1121309     Document Type: Article

References (68)

1. N.S.Ali, 2002, ‘Prevention of coronary heart disease prevention behaviors in women: a test of the health belief model’, Women & Health, vol. 35, pp. 83–96.
2. D.L.Altheide, 1996, Qualitative media analysis, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
3. D.L.Altheide, & C.J.Schneider, 2013, Qualitative media analysis, 2nd ed. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
4. S.Campo, & T.Mastin, 2007, ‘Placing the burden on the individual: overweight and obesity n African American and mainstream women’s magazines’, Health Communication, vol. 22, 229–40.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2013, Leading causes of death in females [online], viewed 21 October 2014, .
6. J.Clarke, 2010, ‘Heart disease and gender in mass print media’, Maturitas, vol. 65, pp. 215–8.
7. J.N.Clarke, & J.Binns, 2006, ‘The portrayal of heart disease in mass print magazines, 1991–2001’, Health Communication, vol. 19, pp. 39–48.
8. J.Clarke, & G.van Amerom, 2008, ‘Mass print media depictions of cancer and heart disease: community versus individualistic perspectives?’, Health and Social Care in the Community, vol. 16, pp. 96–103.
9. J.Clarke,, G.van Amerom, & J.Binns, 2007, ‘Gender and heart disease in mass print media: 1991, 1996, 2001’, Women & Health, vol. 45, pp. 17–35.
10. C.NastCondé 2014, Glamour: print circulation demographics [online], Glamour Media Kit, viewed 15 November 2014, .
11. P.Costello, 2003, October. ‘Health handbook: the 20 most important health questions women don’t ask their doctors’, Glamour, pp. 97–110.
12. L.Drake, 2003, October. Why healthy = beautiful. Glamour, pp. 224–7.
13. T.Dubriwny, 2012, The vulnerable empowered woman: feminism, postfeminism and women’s health, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ.
14. Dworkin, S & Wachs, FL 2009, Body panic: gender, health and the selling of fitness, New York University Press, New York.
15. C.M.Edy, 2010, ‘Women’s magazine coverage of heart disease risk factors: Good Housekeeping magazine, 1997 to 2007’, Women & Health, vol. 50, pp. 176–94.
16. J.L.Fikkan, & E.D.Rothblum, 2012, ‘Is fat a feminist issue? Exploring the gendered nature of weight bias’, Sex Roles, vol. 66, pp. 575–92.
17. N.M.Glenn,, K.R.McGannon, & J.C.Spence, 2013, ‘Exploring media representations of weight-loss surgery’, Qualitative Health Research, vol. 23, pp. 631–44.
18. S.E.Gollust, & P.M.Lantz, 2009, ‘Communicating population health: print news media coverage of type 2 diabetes’, Social Science & Medicine, vol. 69, pp. 1091–8.
19. A.F.Gibson,, C.Lee, & S.Crabb, 2015, ‘“Take ownership of your condition”: Australian women’s health and risk talk in relation to their experiences of breast cancer’, Health, Risk & Society, vol. 17, pp. 132–48.
20. Heart and Stroke Foundation 2014, Women and heart disease and stroke [online], viewed 15 November 2014, http://www.heartandstroke.on.ca/site/c.pvI3IeNWJwE/b.3581757/k.DA04/Heart_Disease__Women_and_heart_disease_and_stroke.htm.
21. D.Hodgetts, & K.Chamberlain, 2006, ‘Developing a critical media research agenda for health psychology’, Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 11, pp. 317–27.
22. S.Jette, 2006, ‘Fit for two? A critical discourse analysis of oxygen fitness magazine’, Sociology of Sport Journal, vol. 23, pp. 331–51.
23. S.Kanjilal,, E.W.Gregg,, Y.J.Cheng,, P.Zhang,, D.E.Nelson,, G.Mensah, & G.L.A.Beckles, 2006, ‘Socioeconomic status and trends in disparities in 4 major risk factors of cardiovascular disease among US adults, 1971-2002’, JAMA: Archives in Internal Medicine, vol. 166, pp. 2348–55.
24. J.M.Kling,, V.M.Miller,, R.Mankad,, S.Wilansky,, Q.Wu,, T.G.Zais,, K.K.Zarling,, T.G.Allison,, & S.L.Mulvagh, 2013, ‘Go Red for women cardiovascular health-screening evaluation: the dichotomy between awareness and perception of cardiovascular risk in the community’, Journal of Women’s Health, vol. 22, pp. 210–8.
25. S.King, 2006, Pink ribbons inc: breast cancer and the politics of philanthropy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
26. S.King, 2010, ‘Pink diplomacy: on the uses and abuses of breast cancer awareness’, Health Communication, vol. 25, pp. 286–9.
27. C.Leive, 2003a, October, ‘Every woman needs a little red dress’, Glamour, p. 50.
28. C.Leive,, 2003b, October, ‘Must-read issue: your urgent health questions answered: Glamour’, Glamour, p. cover.
29. C.Leive,, 2003c, October, ‘Take care of yourself!’, Glamour, pp. 201–11.
30. L.C.Liburd,, L.J.Jack,, S.Williams,, & P.Tucker, 2005, ‘Intervening on the social determinants of cardiovascular disease and diabetes’, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 29, 18–24.
31. K.Lindner, 2004, ‘Images of women in general interest and fashion magazine advertisements from 1995 to 2002’, Sex Roles, vol. 51, pp. 409–21.
32. ® to women through community education’, Social Marketing Quarterly, vol. 17, pp. 24–40.
33. T.Long,, A.Taubenheim,, J.Wayman,, S.Temple, & B.Ruoff, 2008, ‘“The Heart Truth:” using the power of branding and social marketing to increase awareness of heart disease in women’, Social Marketing Quarterly, vol. 14, pp. 3–29.
34. ® – 2009 update’, Cases in Public Health Communication & Marketing, vol. 4, pp. 55–68.
35. A.Lyons, 2000, ‘Examining media representations: benefits for health psychology’, Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 5, pp. 349–58.
36. K.R.McGannon,, K.Curtin,, R.J.Schinke, & A.N.Schweinbenz, 2012, ‘(De)constructing Paula Radcliffe: exploring media representations of elite athletes, pregnancy and motherhood through cultural sport psychology’, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, vol. 13, pp. 820–9.
37. K.R.McGannon, & J.C.Spence, 2012, ‘Exploring news media representations of women’s exercise and subjectivity through critical discourse analysis’, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health, vol. 4, pp. 32–50.
38. C.A.McMahan,, S.S.Gidding, & H.C.McGill, 2008, ‘Coronary heart disease risk factors and atherosclerosis in young people’, Journal of Clinical Lipidology, vol. 2, pp. 118–26.
39. Mega Media Marketing 2008, Demographics [online], viewed 6 December 2014, http://www.megamediamarketing.com/demographics.html.
40. H.Mochari-Greenberger,, K.L.Miller, & L.Mosca, 2012, ‘Racial/ethnic and age differences in women’s awareness of heart disease’, Journal of Women’s Health, vol. 21, pp. 476–80.
41. B.Moeran, 2006, ‘More than just a fashion magazine’, Current Sociology, vol. 54, pp. 725–44.
42. S.E.H.Moore, 2010, ‘Is the healthy body gendered? Toward a feminist critique of the new paradigm of health’, Body & Society, vol. 16, 95–118.
43. B.Moran, & T.Walsh, 2013, ‘Cardiovascular disease in women: how nurses can promote awareness and prevention’, Nursing for Women’s Health, vol. 17, pp. 63–8.
44. L.Mosca,, A.Ferris,, R.Fabunmi, & R.M.Robertson, 2004, ‘Tracking women’s awareness of heart disease: an American Heart Association national study’, Circulation, vol. 109, pp. 573–9.
45. L.Mosca,, G.Hammond,, H.Mochari-Greenberger,, A.Towfighi, & M.A.Albert, 2013, ‘Fifteen-year trends in awareness of heart disease in women: results of a 2012 American Heart Association national survey’, Circulation, vol. 127, pp. 1–10.
46. W.Naugle, & D.Chen, 2003, ‘It’s time to save your life’, Glamour, October, pp. 201–11, 270–1.
47. D.J.O’Keefe, & J.D.Jensen, 2007, ‘The relative persuasiveness of gain-framed loss-framed messages for encouraging disease prevention behaviors: a meta-analytic review’, Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives, vol. 12, pp. 623–44.
48. G.Y.Peters,, R.A.C.Ruiter, & G.Kok, 2013, ‘Threatening communication: a critical re-analysis and a revised meta-analytic test of fear appeal theory’, Health Psychology Review, vol. 7, pp. 8–31.
49. C.Phoenix,, 2010. ‘Seeing the world of physical culture: the potential of visual methods for qualitative research in sport and exercise’, Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise, vol. 2, pp. 93–108.
50. M.Rock, 2005, ‘Diabetes portrayals in North American print media: a qualitative and quantitative analysis’, American Journal of Public Health, vol. 95, pp. 1832–8.
51. V.L.Roger,, A.S.Go,, D.M.Lloyd-Jones,, E.J.Benjamin,, J.D.Berry,, W.B.Borden,, D.M.Bravata,, S.Dai,, E.S.Ford,, C.S.Fox,, H.J.Fullerton,, C.Gillespie,, S.M.Hailpern,, J.A.Heit,, V.J.Howard,, B.M.Kissela,, S.J.Kittner,, D.T.Lackland,, J.H.Lichtman,, L.D.Lisabeth,, D.M.Makuc,, G.M.Marcus,, A.Marelli,, D.B.Matchar,, C.S.Moy,, D.Mozaffarian,, M.E.Mussolino,, G.Nichol,, N.P.Paynter,, E.Z.Soliman,, P.D.Sorlie,, N.Sotoodehnia,, T.N.Turan,, S.S.Virani,, N.D.Wong,, D.Woo,, & M.B.Turner, 2012, ‘Heart disease and stroke statistics – 2012 update: a report from the American Heart Association’, Circulation, vol. 125, pp. 2–220.
52. W.G.Rothstein, 2006, ‘Dietary fat, coronary heart disease, and cancer: a historical review’, Preventive Medicine, vol. 43, pp. 356–60.
53. S.C.Roy, 2008, ‘“Taking charge of your health”: discourses of responsibility in English-Canadian women’s magazines’, Sociology of Health & Illness, vol. 30, pp. 463–77.
54. K.Scott-Dixon, 2008, ‘Big girls don't cry: fitness, fatness, and the production of feminist knowledge’, Sociology of Sport Journal, vol. 25, pp. 22–47.
55. A.C.Sparkes, & B.Smith, 2009, ‘Judging the quality of qualitative inquiry: criteriology and relativism in action’, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, vol. 10, pp. 491–7.
56. M.J.Stampfer,, F.B.Hu,, J.E.Manson,, E.B.Rimm, & W.C.Willett, 2000, ‘Primary prevention of coronary heart disease in women through diet and lifestyle’, The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 343, pp. 16–22.
57. G.Sulik, 2012, Pink ribbon blues: how breast cancer culture hurts women’s health, Oxford University Press, New York.
58. N.T.J.Tindall, & J.Vardeman-Winter, 2011, ‘Complications in segmenting campaign publics: women of color explain their problems, involvement, and constraints in reading heart disease communication’, Howard Journal of Communications, vol. 22, pp. 280–301.
59. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 2014, Fashion Week [online], viewed 17 December 2014, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/hearttruth/events/fashion-week.htm.
60. ® [online], viewed 15 November 2014, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/about/index.htm.
61. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 2012, Red dress gaining momentum: awareness of the national symbol for women and heart disease on the rise [online], viewed 15 November 2014, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/about/reddressurveyupdate.htm.
62. J.M.Ussher, 2006, Managing the monstrous feminine: regulating the reproductive body, Psychology Press, New York.
63. J.Vanderman-Winter, & N.T.J.Tindall, 2010, ‘“If it’s a woman’s issue, I pay attention to it”: gendered and intersectional complications in The Heart Truth media campaign’, PRism, vol. 7, pp. 1–15.
64. P.A.Vertinsky, 1998, The eternally wounded woman: women, doctors and exercise in the late nineteenth century, Manchester University Press, Manchester.
65. W.Wayman,, T.Long,, B.A.Ruoff,, S.Temple, & A.M.Taubenheim, 2008, ‘Creating a women and heart disease brand: the Heart Truth campaign's Red Dress’, Social Marketing Quarterly, vol. 14, pp. 40–57.
66. J.W.Wharf Higgins,, P.J.Naylor,, T.Berry,, B.O'Connor, & D.McLean, 2006, ‘The health buck stops where? Thematic framing of health discourse to understand the context for CVD prevention’, Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives, vol. 11, 343–58.
67. L.E.Willis, & S.Knobloch-Westerwick, 2014, ‘Weighing women down: messages on weight loss and body shaping in editorial content in popular women’s health and fitness magazines’, Health Communication, vol. 29, pp. 323–31.
68. WomenHeart 2014, Our story [online], viewed 26 July 2015, https://womenheart.site-ym.com/?page=About_UsOur_Story.