Watching TV can change health attitudes: Study

Washington, Oct 1: A new study has found that watching television with heavy dose of medical content can lead to personal health fears and reduce self-esteem.

University of Rhode Island study, authored by Yinjiao Ye, found that TV viewing affects people's awareness of health-risks and whether they believe they can protect their own health.

Millions watch medical shows such as Grey's Anatomy, House, and E.R. Evidence has shown that the mass media are powerful in disseminating health knowledge and changing health attitudes and behaviors through such programming.

Such knowledge, however, may lead people to think they are more likely to suffer from the maladies presented on TV.

As people become more knowledgeable, they enjoy life less. But ignorance, at least of TV's presentations of medical information, is closer to bliss.

Now getting sick and not being able to do much about it can be added as a second cause of life dissatisfaction.

The research was published in the journal Mass Communication and Society.

ANI