Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37438767›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2023

Evaluating the long-term portrayal of antibiotic resistance in major U.S. newspapers.

Allison Way, Maria Bond, Bradley Nanna, Erik S Wright

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
4.0field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Allison WayDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.
Maria BondDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.
Bradley NannaDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.
Erik S WrightDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA. eswright@pitt.edu.
University of Pittsburgh · US

Funding

Overcoming antibiotics of last resort: determining the role of compensatory mutations in promoting vancomycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureusR21AI144769 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI WRIGHT, ERIK SCOTT · 2020 to 2021
$430k
NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI144769
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPopular media play a critical role in informing the public about antibiotic resistance, which has remained a health concern for over seven decades. Media attention increases the notoriety of antibiotic resistance and shapes the public's perception of its severity, causes, and solutions. Therefore, it is critical the media accurately portray scientific knowledge that may shape personal and policy responses to antibiotic resistance.

methodsWe analyzed articles from two major U.S. newspapers, The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, from 1940 to 2019 to assess trends in sentiment and lexicon surrounding antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance.

resultsWe observed a gradual increase in the number of relevant articles about resistance, although far fewer than other topics with comparable mortality rates. We found a consistently threatening portrayal of antibiotic resistance as a crisis, reflected in the usage of terms such as "superbug" to refer to some pathogens. Governmental agencies responsible for determining antibiotic usage policies were infrequently mentioned in articles. Blame for resistance was almost exclusively attributed to inappropriate antibiotic use, mainly in animals, rather than appropriate uses of antibiotics.

conclusionsCollectively, our results provide insights into how popular media can more accurately inform the public about antibiotic resistance. Potential changes include increasing news coverage, avoiding fear-mongering, and adequately conveying the multiple uses of antibiotics that can potentiate resistance.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsFearAnimalsDrug Resistance, MicrobialGovernment AgenciesHumansKnowledgeAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntibiotic resistanceAntimicrobial resistanceJournalismMedia correspondencePopular pressPublic health

Identifiers

PMID37438767
PMCPMC10339640
OpenAlexW4384025076

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.