Representation of inflammatory bowel disease on UK television

ABSTRACT

O2 Table 1Number of television programmes matching each search term (original search)Table includes all matches to given term, and is not adjusted for overlap where more than one search led to the same programme.Search term Total programmes in two-year period ‘Relevant’ clips (score >6) Crohns 189 43 Colitis 92 18 ‘Inflammatory bowel disease’ 32 6 Stoma 71 4 Ileostomy 12 6 O2 Table 2Themes identified within ‘relevant’ programmesClassifications relate to the final non-overlapping list (n=58), but a given programme may feature in more than one category.Term Description Number of programmes REAL Someone on a reality TV programme mentions their IBD 12 MED A factual/reality medical programme shows IBD 13 FAM A ‘famous’ person is interviewed and discusses their IBD 11 MAG A TV magazine programme has a section about an IBD-related issue 7 DOC A documentary with main focus of IBD or related issue 10 NEWS A news programme 13 HOLB A medical drama mentioning IBD 6 COVID A person with IBD is featured in the context of the impact of the pandemic on people with chronic conditions 7 AMY Documentary, interviews etc with Strictly Come Dancing performer Amy Dowden 4 CIRCLE Episodes of The Circle and subsequent interviews featuring contestant Georgina Elliott, with IBD and previously a stoma 2 DRAMA NON medical drama or comedy with IBD mention 1 Summary and ConclusionsIBD is underrepresented on television compared to other chronic conditions. Notwithstanding different search terms may lead to the same programme, there were fewer than 396 IBD-related clips identified in a two-year period. This is significantly lower than other conditions such as diabetes (3,138), asthma (2,236) and epilepsy (959).Only 58 of the IBD-related clips were assessed as relevant for this project.Depictions of IBD mainly featured in news, factual medical or documentary programmes with few fictional portrayals in dra a or comedy.Despite focus on the fear and uncertainty of living with IBD, there were also positive messages concerning the value of open communication with family and friends, and having goals to focus on.Framing living with IBD using more extreme language may be due to television’s desire for compelling narratives, rather than an accurate reflection of people’s lived experience. However, children and young people with IBD may still benefit from seeing well-known role models discussing their condition and achieving their ambitions despite the challenges.Further research into use of and benefit of TV and social media in support and education should be considered.