Evaluation of the mass media coverage of oral health-related issues in Iran in 2011‒2012

Introduction: Mass media are an important source to convey health information to the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the oral health information coverage in Iranian mass and health-related media, with general population audience, in 2011‒2012. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a health-related TV program, one health-related and two general newspapers nationally published or broadcast in 2011‒2012 were analyzed. The data on programs and articles containing information on various oral health topics were collected. A 7-item checklist was developed to analyze the quality of information concerning oral diseases and prevention separately (scores ranged from 0 to 14). Descriptive statistics were applied for data analysis. Results: Of 853 resources evaluated, 102 articles and programs comprising oral health topics were found. Dental caries and preventive methods for primary dentition were the most common topics described in 37% of articles, followed by orthodontic treatments and nutrition (16% each) and oral hygiene topiucs on the use of toothbrushes and dental floss (14%). The coverage of other topics was less than 10% for each area. The mean quality score of 38 preventive articles was 12.5. Conclusion: Oral health topics were shown to have inadequate coverage in Iranian mass media, with no coverage of all the topics needed. It is expected that mass media show a more effective role in oral health promotion campaigns through more coverage of oral health information.   Key words: Health education, Mass media, Newspapers, Oral health, Preventive dentistry