Advertising for health?

A SURVEY was carried out to examine the balance between health-promoting advertisements and those for potentially health-damaging products in central Belfast. The latter group included tobacco products, alcohol and confectionery. All advertise ments on hoardings within a one kilometre radius of the centre of Belfast were assigned to one of four categories: advertisements for potentially health- damaging products, advertisements containing health promotion messages, advertisements making health claims, and neutral advertisements. Adver tisements for potentially health-damaging products outnumbered those carrying health promotion mess ages by a ratio of ten to one. The total area of ad vertising space devoted to these products was substantially greater than the area devoted to health promotion messages, as was the amount of money spent on advertising them. While it is recognised that the advertising of health promotion messages may have a limited role in health promotion cam paigns, there are a number of factors which should be considered before using this method of communication. © 1991, Sage Publications. All rights reserved