Celebrities and Breast Cancer: A Multidimensional Quali-Quantitative Analysis of News Stories Shared on Social Media.

In 2020, breast cancer was the most frequent type of cancer in 158 countries. To advise the population about risk factors and the importance of preventive measures, celebrities can be of great help, acting as spokespersons for reliable scientific information. The goal of this study is to analyse the content of news stories about breast cancer shared on different social media, examining how stories with celebrity presence are constructed. We performed a quali-quantitative multidimensional analysis of news stories in English that addressed breast cancer on the following social media platforms: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Reddit. We compared news stories with and without the presence of celebrities. Our sample consists of 1594 news stories that had at least 1000 total shares across all analysed social media; 262 news stories mention a celebrity (16.44%), while 1332 stories do not (83.56%). Nevertheless, the ones that feature celebrities are, as a rule, more shared. The percentage of stories with celebrities addressing breast cancer prevention is quite low (1.9%). The same can be said for mentions of scientific papers/specialist quotes (3.4%). This research may help outline some possible paths that healthcare organizations and communication professionals can take to improve breast cancer content available online.

Misinformation on social networks during the novel coronavirus pandemic: a quali-quantitative case study of Brazil.

BACKGROUND: One of the challenges posed by the novel coronavirus pandemic is the infodemic risk, that is, a huge amount of information being published on the topic, along with misinformation and rumours; with social media, this phenomenon is amplified, and it goes faster and further. Around 100 million people in Brazil (50% of the inhabitants) are users of social media networks - almost half of the country's population. Most of the information on the Internet is unregulated, and its quality remains questionable. METHODS: In this study, we examine the main characteristics of misinformation published on the topic. We analysed 232 pieces of misinformation published by the Brazilian fact-checking service "Agência Lupa". The following aspects of each news item were analysed: a) In what social media has it circulated?; b) What is the content classification, sentiment and type of misinformation?; d) Are there recurrent themes in the sample studied? RESULTS: Most were published on Facebook (76%), followed by WhatsApp, with 10% of total cases. Half of the stories (47%) are classified as "real-life", that is, the focus is on everyday situations, or circumstances involving people. Regarding the type of misinformation, there is a preponderance of fabricated content, with 53% of total, followed by false context (34%) and misleading content (13%). Wrong information was mostly published in text format (47%). We found that 92.9% of misinformation classified as "fabricated content" are "health tips", and 88.9% of "virtual scams" are also fabricated. CONCLUSION: Brazilian media and science communicators must understand the main characteristics of misinformation in social media about COVID-19, so that they can develop attractive, up-to-date and evidence-based content that helps to increase health literacy and counteract the spread of false information.

Breast cancer on social media: a quali-quantitative study on the credibility and content type of the most shared news stories.

BACKGROUND: Female breast cancer was the most diagnosed cancer in 2020, with more than two million new cases worldwide. Access to scientifically correct information can assist patients in early detection or prevention of the disease. However, misinformation on social networking sites (SNSs) about breast cancer can be propagated rapidly, posing a threat to health communication efforts. The aim of this study is to analyse the characteristics of the most shared news stories referencing the disease that circulated on SNSs, including the credibility of this content. METHODS: This is an exploratory quali-quantitative study. Data collection was conducted between June 2019 and June 2020. We performed statistical and content analysis of the stories that had at least 1,000 total shares. Each story was classified in accordance to the following aspects: credibility; type of rumour; source; content type; mentions prevention or early detection/screening exams. RESULTS: The abundance of news stories in our sample (n = 1,594) were not classified according to their credibility, as they do not address science, risk factors, prevention, treatment, or other aspects which can be assessed for scientific accuracy. However, content classified as "rumours" are 3.29 times more shared than those considered scientifically correct. Regarding content type, most stories are classified as 'real-life story' or 'solidarity' (67.69%). In our sample, 5.08% of the total comment on prevention and 19.7% reference early detection. CONCLUSION: We consider it can be a good strategy, in SNSs, to combine content of greater popularity, such as real-life stories, with subjects that can make a difference in a patient's life, such as early detection, breast cancer symptoms and disease prevention strategies. Doctors, scientists and health journalists can expand the dialogue with the lay public regarding breast cancer, helping to counteract online misinformation.

How to Optimize Health Messages About Cancer on Facebook: Mixed-Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Incidence rate of cancer is increasing worldwide, with longer life expectancy being one of the main causes. Yet, between 30% and 50% of cancer cases are preventable, and early detection contributes to a better prognosis. This makes health communication strategies essential. Facebook, the world's most used social networking site in 2017 and 2018, can be a useful tool for disseminating powerful messages on health promotion, prevention, and early detection. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to (1) offer ways of optimizing health messages about cancer on Facebook, focusing on topics, such as risk factors, prevention, treatment, early diagnosis, and cure, and (2) investigate which aspects of these messages generate greater engagement. METHODS: To verify what generates greater engagement in topics related to cancer on Facebook, we analyzed 16 Brazilian pages with the main theme of cancer. We performed a manual analysis of texts, content, and engagement rates. Finally, we developed a software program to operationalize the analysis of Facebook posts. The tool we devised aims to automate the analysis of any Facebook page with cancer as the main theme. RESULTS: We analyzed 712 posts over a 1-month period. We divided the posts into the following 8 categories: "Testimonies or real-life stories," "Solidarity," "Anniversaries," "Science and health," "Events," "Institutional," "Risk factors," and "Beauty." The pages were also organized into groups according to the type of profile to which they belonged (ie, hospitals or foundations, informative, nongovernmental organizations, and personal pages).The results showed that the categories generating greater engagement in Brazil were not those with the highest percentage of cancer-related content. For instance, in the "Informative" group the "Testimonies or real-life stories" category generated an engagement of 79.5%. However, only 9.5% (25/261) of the content within the relevant time period dealt with such topics. Another example concerns the category "Science and health." Despite being the one with the highest number of posts (129/261, 49.4%), it scored 5th in terms of engagement. This investigation served as the basis for the development of a tool designed to automate the analysis of Facebook pages. The list of categories and keywords generated by this analysis was employed to feed the system, which was then able to categorize posts appearing on a Facebook page. We tested the system on 163 posts and only 34 were classified incorrectly, which amounts to a 20.8% error rate (79.2% accuracy). CONCLUSIONS: The analysis we conducted by categorizing posts and calculating engagement rates shows that the potential of Facebook pages is often underutilized. This occurs because the categories that generate the greatest engagement are often not those most frequently used. The software developed in this research may help administrators of cancer-related pages analyze their posts more easily and increase public interest as a result.

Beyond the Drama: the Beautiful Life in News Feeds on Cancer.

Facebook is one of the main communication tools in the world nowadays. In Brazil, it is used for almost half of the population. Knowing what is conveyed about cancer by this social network can be an important step for the development of efficient health communication strategies. We evaluate Facebook user's comments on pages about cancer; verify if there is a pattern of public awareness on the disease and compare it with results from other studies. Three pages about cancer on Facebook were selected among those with more followers in Brazil. For 6 months, from January to June 2014, all posts were selected and evaluated, and we created eight categories. On each page, the categories that generated most comments were elected for the second analysis. The behavior of empowered citizens by new communication tools is the target of this study. Similarities and differences between 12,926 comments coming from 1243 posts in three different Facebook pages on cancer were analyzed. Four new categories were identified: "religion," "positive," "negative," and "information." Despite the differences among the three pages selected for this study, we observed the predominance of positive speeches associated with religious terms. Following public perceptions on cancer is an important step for the development of efficient health communication strategies.

Voices About a Stigma: Cancer in the Opinion of Three Different Segments in Brazilian Society.

The viewpoints of Brazilian opinion leaders regarding cancer are not yet well defined. Examining public perceptions of three segments of society through a qualitative study may provide clues to understanding the negative view that the population still has about the disease. Journalists, scientists and teachers participated in discussions in six focus group sessions. The findings were studied using the content analysis method, showing similar elements among these professionals, regardless of area of operation. We identified a negative view that may be contributing to or mirroring the vision of society that associates the illness with death and suffering. Although these opinion leaders believe they are able to filter certain negative aspects of media dissemination about cancer, when the disease affects them personally, the feeling of despair resembles common sense. Words such as "cure" are viewed with prejudice. On the other hand, a morbid approach arouses interest on the subject. It was also noted that the disclosure of a celebrity with cancer stands out as a decoy in the consumption of news. Such distortions may support actions that enhance communication about cancer, structured on pillars such as prevention, early diagnosis and cure.

Imprensa versus opinião pública: o câncer na capa de cinco jornais brasileiros / The press versus public opinion: cancer on the cover of five brazilian newspapers / La prensa versus la opinión pública: el cáncer en la tapa de cinco periódicos brasileños

Introdução: O câncer é uma das doenças mais temidas da atualidade. Pesquisa realizada pelo Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva mostrou que o brasileiro associa câncer à dor e a sofrimento. A Organização Mundial da Saúde afirma que as chances de cura são elevadas, se houver um diagnóstico precoce. Nesse sentido, a imprensa pode desempenhar um papel importante, pois contribui na formação de opiniões e atitudes. Objetivo: Este trabalho objetiva investigar como cinco jornais do Brasil divulgam a temática "câncer" em suas primeiras páginas. Método: Esta é uma pesquisa de caráter descritivo-exploratória e foi desenvolvida apoiada no paradigma quanti-qualitativo. Foram analisadas 45 notícias que contêm o termo câncer e apresentam chamadas na primeira página de cinco jornais brasileiros, entre janeiro e julho de 2010. Essas reportagens foram agrupadas em referência mínima e foco em câncer. Desenvolveu-se uma avaliação de caráter otimista/neutro/pessimista do câncer em todas as reportagens estudadas, a partir do estudo de palavras-chave. Resultados: 17,77% das reportagens apresentavam caráter otimista, 66,66% eram neutras e 15,55%, negativas. Das reportagens que fazem referência mínima à doença, 81,5% têm caráter neutro ou otimista; e, entre aquelas sobre câncer, 88% têm caráter neutro ou otimista. Conclusão: A maior parte dessas reportagens possui um enfoque que contrasta com a visão negativa predominante na população. Políticas de saúde pública devem estar atreladas a uma cobertura pela imprensa mais ampla e regular sobre a doença.

Introduction: Cancer is one of the most feared diseases in current days. Research carried out by the National Cancer Institute José Alencar Gomes da Silva showed that Brazilians associate cancer to pain and suffering. The World Health Organization claims that the chances of cure are high if there is an early diagnosis. In this sense, the press plays an important role because it helps to shape opinions and attitudes. Objective: This article aims to investigate how five newspapers in Brazil disclose cancer on their front pages. Method: This is descriptive, exploratory research and was developed based on the quantitative and qualitative paradigm. We analyzed 45 news stories that contain the word 'cancer' and appear on the front page of five Brazilian newspapers, between January and July 2010. These news stories were split into two groups: 'minimum reference' and 'focus on cancer'. We evaluated the positive/neutral/negative content in all investigated texts, studying the keywords that represent those qualities. Results: 17.77% of the news stories are of a positive character; 66.66% are neutral and 15.5% are negative. Considering the news that make a minimum reference to the disease, 81.5% are of a neutral or optimistic character. Considering those whose main subject is cancer, 88% are of a neutral or optimistic character. Conclusion: Most of the news stories studied have an approach that contrasts with the negative view prevalent in the population. Public health policies need to be linked with broader and regular press coverage about the disease.

Introducción: El cáncer es una de las enfermedades más temidas en la actualidad. Una investigación realizada por el Instituto Nacional de Cáncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva demostró, que el brasileño relaciona el cáncer al dolor y al sufrimiento. La Organización Mundial de la Salud informa que las posibilidades de cura son altas cuando el diagnóstico es precoz. En este sentido, los medios de comunicación pueden desempeñar un papel importante, pues contribuyen a la formación de opiniones y actitudes. Objetivo: Este artículo tiene como objetivo investigar como cinco periódicos en Brasil divulgan el cáncer en sus portadas. Método: Este es un estudio de investigación descriptivo y exploratorio. Se analizaron 45 noticias que contienen la palabra 'cáncer' y presenten citas en la primera página de cinco periódicos brasileños. Las noticias fueron agrupadas en dos grupos: 'referencia mínima' y 'foco en cáncer'. Desarrolló una evaluación del contenido optimista/neutro/pesimista del cáncer en todas las noticias estudiadas, a partir de la investigación de palabras clave. Resultados: 17,77% de los reportajes tenían un carácter optimista; 66,66% eran neutrales y 15,55%, negativos. Considerando los reportajes que hacen referencia mínima a la enfermedad, 81,5% tienen carácter neutro u optimista; entre los reportajes sobre cáncer, 88% tienen carácter neutro u optimista. Conclusión: La mayoría de los reportajes tiene un enfoque que contrasta con la visión negativa prevalente en la población. Políticas de salud pública deben estar vinculadas a una cobertura de prensa más amplia y regular sobre la enfermedad.