'Gut health' and the microbiome in the popular press: a content analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Extensive research and important discoveries on the microbiome have led to a growth in media coverage. This study explores how the microbiome has been portrayed in press sources popular among American and Canadian audiences.

Design

Content analysis.

Methods

Using the FACTIVA Database, we compiled a finalised data set of (N=830) articles from press sources popular among American and Canadian audiences which were published between 1 January 2018 and 11 October 2019 and which contained at least one of the following search terms: 'microbiome', 'microbiota', 'gut health', 'healthy gut', 'unhealthy gut', 'gut bacteria', 'probiotic' or 'probiotics.' We performed content analysis on the articles to determine how often ideas of the microbiome were presented as benefi

SUBMITTER: Marcon AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8323349 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature