How Accurate Argentina’s Main Newspapers are when Providing Information on Breast Cancer Prevention

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Print media play a key role in the promotion of values and behaviors that can impact on public health, like the breast cancer screening or secondary prevention strategies. In that regard, the National Cancer Institute (INC) of Argentina recommends that women aged 50 to 70 years old have a mammogram once every two years. OBJECTIVES: To document the agreement between the breast cancer prevention information published by Argentina’s main newspapers, on their digital version, and the INC recommendations. METHODS: A cross-sectional document review was carried out. Two researchers looked for breast cancer articles that were published in 2015 on the websites of the newspapers with the highest digital traffic. Among those promoting secondary prevention strategies against breast cancer, it was determined whether their information matched the INC recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 135 news articles were identified: 95 failed to meet the inclusion criteria, and 40 were included in the analysis; 95% of the latter gave messages different from what the INC recommends. The most frequent recommendation (33/40; 82.5%) was to have an annual mammography after the age of 40, followed by breast self-examination (20/40; 50%). CONCLUSIONS: Print media provide breast cancer screening information which differs from INC recommendations