Media Communications Trends

TV as health information source: 83% of U.S. adults report they most often learn something about diseases or how to prevent them from television compared to 71% from family, friends, doctors, nurses and others. (Source: 1999 CDC HealthStyles Survey - “Soap Opera Viewers and Health Information.”)

Soap Opera Viewing: According to a report from the CDC conference Setting the Agenda for Entertainment Education (May 2000), CDC analysis of data from a national census-based survey reconfirms other studies that describe regular soap opera viewers with characteristics similar to audiences at greatest risk for preventable diseases. Findings indicate nearly half of regular soap opera viewers said they learned something about health from soap operas and one-third took some action as a result.

Online ads reach consumers: According to the February 17th issue of DIRECTnewsline, online advertising revenue in the U.S. totaled $2.2 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2003. This is a 38 percent increase over the same period in 2002. The data are from the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Total revenue for the year 2003 is expected to reach $7.2 billion, compared with $6 billion in 2002.
(Source: Trends in Aging)

Advertising doesn’t reflect mature adults: Datamonitor market research shows that 71 percent of people ages 55 and older feel that advertising does not reflect their life nowadays. (Source: Targeting Seniors Effectively; Datamonitor, 7/15/03.)

Music formats for Boomers & Matures: According to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association’s (IHRSA) Trends Insight, the five most popular music types among Baby Boomers and Matures are:

Baby Boomers (Age 39-57)	Matures (Age 58 and older)
1. Oldies (43%)	1. Oldies (52%)
2. Classic Rock (43%)	2. Country/Western (44%)
3. Country/Western (33%)	3. Easy Listening (32%)
4. Rock (30%)	4. Classical (28%)
5. Easy Listening (26%)	5. Big Band/Swing (25%)

Behavioral counseling helps: According to research published in the July 2003 issue of Health Psychology, behavioral counseling combined with exercise therapy may help older adults at risk for heart disease increase their weekly exercise by as much as 45 minutes a week, compared to adults who receive exercise therapy only. According to the study, behavioral counseling specifically encourages adults to be more physically active at home, in addition to participating in formal exercise sessions with trained medical staff, says W. Jack Rejeski, Ph.D., of Wake Forest University. The researchers suggest that counseling may help adults become more confident in their ability to exercise on their own.