Nearly every day, population health studies appear in the media. The studies often include epidemiological research. The type of study design used can have a profound impact on how the study results are analyzed, interpreted, and reported. Common study designs include case control, cohort, cross-sectional, and community intervention trials
Based on media descriptions of the research, however, facts about the issue under study may appear less than obvious. Media reports may sensationalize results and overstate outcomes. Someone familiar with epidemiological methodology may note a lack of detail in mass media reports of research findings compared to articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
compare an epidemiological study to a mass media article written about the study to examine ways epidemiologic information is disseminated to and utilized by different audiences.
Resources
• Locate a mass media article published within the last year that describes findings of an epidemiological study. Be sure that the article is about an epidemiological study and not another area of population health.
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Hypothetical Epidemiological Study:
Let’s imagine a cohort study published in a peer-reviewed journal titled: “Long-Term Dietary Patterns and the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in a Kenyan Urban Cohort.”
Study Design: Researchers followed a large group of adults (n=5,000) living in urban areas of Kenya (including a subset from Kisumu) over a period of 10 years. At the beginning of the study, participants completed detailed questionnaires about their dietary habits (frequency of consuming various food groups like processed foods, fruits, vegetables, traditional Kenyan staples, sugary drinks, etc.). Researchers then tracked the incidence of new cases of type 2 diabetes diagnosed during the follow-up period, controlling for other known risk factors like age, sex, physical activity levels, and family history of diabetes.
Key Hypothetical Findings in the Journal Article:
- Participants in the highest quartile of processed food consumption at baseline had a 1.6-fold increased hazard ratio (HR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-2.0) of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those in the lowest quartile, after adjusting for confounders.
- Conversely, participants in the highest quartile of non-starchy vegetable consumption had a 0.75-fold hazard ratio (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.60-0.93) of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those in the lowest quartile.
- No significant association was found between the consumption of traditional Kenyan staples (like ugali or sukuma wiki prepared without excessive oil) and the risk of type 2 diabetes after adjusting for other dietary factors.
Hypothetical Mass Media Article:
Let’s imagine a news article appearing on a popular Kenyan news website with the headline: “Shocking Study Links Popular Foods to Diabetes Risk! Scientists Warn of Dangers.”
Content of the Hypothetical Mass Media Article:
Hypothetical Epidemiological Study:
Let’s imagine a cohort study published in a peer-reviewed journal titled: “Long-Term Dietary Patterns and the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in a Kenyan Urban Cohort.”
Study Design: Researchers followed a large group of adults (n=5,000) living in urban areas of Kenya (including a subset from Kisumu) over a period of 10 years. At the beginning of the study, participants completed detailed questionnaires about their dietary habits (frequency of consuming various food groups like processed foods, fruits, vegetables, traditional Kenyan staples, sugary drinks, etc.). Researchers then tracked the incidence of new cases of type 2 diabetes diagnosed during the follow-up period, controlling for other known risk factors like age, sex, physical activity levels, and family history of diabetes.
Key Hypothetical Findings in the Journal Article:
- Participants in the highest quartile of processed food consumption at baseline had a 1.6-fold increased hazard ratio (HR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-2.0) of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those in the lowest quartile, after adjusting for confounders.
- Conversely, participants in the highest quartile of non-starchy vegetable consumption had a 0.75-fold hazard ratio (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.60-0.93) of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those in the lowest quartile.
- No significant association was found between the consumption of traditional Kenyan staples (like ugali or sukuma wiki prepared without excessive oil) and the risk of type 2 diabetes after adjusting for other dietary factors.
Hypothetical Mass Media Article:
Let’s imagine a news article appearing on a popular Kenyan news website with the headline: “Shocking Study Links Popular Foods to Diabetes Risk! Scientists Warn of Dangers.”
Content of the Hypothetical Mass Media Article:
“A groundbreaking new study has revealed alarming connections between what Kenyans eat and their risk of developing deadly type 2 diabetes, a disease that is rapidly becoming a major health crisis in our country. Researchers followed thousands of urban Kenyans for a decade and found a strong link between eating processed foods – like those increasingly found in our supermarkets and fast-food outlets – and a significantly higher chance of getting diabetes.
The study, published in an international health journal, showed that people who ate the most processed foods were a staggering 60% more likely to develop the condition compared to those who rarely ate them. This should serve as a wake-up call about the dangers of our changing diets.
On a more positive note, the scientists also discovered that eating plenty of vegetables could offer significant protection against this debilitating disease. Those who consumed the most vegetables were found to have a 25% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
However, the study also had some surprising findings about our traditional foods. While there’s been much debate about the impact of our staple diet, the researchers did not find a clear link between traditional foods and diabetes risk when other factors were taken into account.
Health experts are now urging Kenyans to reduce their consumption of processed foods and increase the amount of vegetables in their daily meals to combat the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes. More research is needed to fully understand these complex relationships, but this study provides compelling evidence that our dietary choices have a profound impact on our health.”
Comparison of the Epidemiological Study and the Mass Media Article:
Here’s an examination of how the epidemiological information is disseminated to and utilized by different audiences:
How Epidemiologic Information is Disseminated and Utilized:
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Epidemiological Studies (Journal): Dissemination is primarily through peer-reviewed publications accessible to the scientific community. Utilization involves critical evaluation of the methodology and findings by other researchers, integration into systematic reviews and meta-analyses, informing the development of public health guidelines (often after careful consideration of multiple studies), and guiding further research. The emphasis is on rigor and contributing to the evidence base.
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Mass Media Articles: Dissemination is broad and rapid, reaching a large segment of the general public. Utilization by the public can involve increased awareness of potential health risks, influencing dietary choices or other health behaviors. Policymakers might take note of sensational findings, but ideally, should consult the original research and expert opinions before formulating policy. Healthcare professionals might become aware of new findings but would typically consult the peer-reviewed literature for a more detailed understanding and to assess the strength of the evidence.
Conclusion:
The comparison highlights the inherent differences in how epidemiological information is tailored for different audiences. While mass media plays a crucial role in disseminating health-related information to the public, it often prioritizes brevity, simplicity, and news value, sometimes at the expense of scientific nuance and detail. This can lead to sensationalized reporting and an overstatement of outcomes. Individuals familiar with epidemiological methodology can recognize the missing information and the potential for misinterpretation in mass media reports. It underscores the importance of critical media literacy for the general public and the need for policymakers and healthcare professionals to engage with the original scientific literature for a comprehensive and accurate understanding of population health findings. The translation of complex epidemiological research into accessible public health messages is essential, but it requires careful consideration to maintain accuracy and avoid misleading the public.
