Papers by Gregory Benjamin
Framing and agenda-setting theories suggest that the news media play an important role in influen... more Framing and agenda-setting theories suggest that the news media play an important role in influencing public opinion on policy issues. Previous research using content analysis documents an emphasis on biomedical and behavioral determinants of health and health disparities within the news media, with little attention paid to the social determinants of health (SDOH). This narrow view of health in the news may help explain why the health policy discourse in the U.S. has a similarly narrow focus, despite the large evidence base and understanding among public health professionals regarding the importance of the SDOH. The purpose of this study is to explore how a major trade publication, intended as a news source for public health professionals and a resource for the broader media, presents health disparities. This presentation will describe how health disparities are framed in terms of causes, solutions and attribution of responsibility. Stories were selected among all available newspape...
Journal of gay & lesbian social services
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the community involvement (e.g., volunteerism, activi... more The purpose of this paper is to investigate the community involvement (e.g., volunteerism, activism) of Latino gay and bisexual men and transgender persons (GBT) in two areas: AIDS/GLBT and other general causes. Drawing from volunteering and identity theories, we explore: Who is likely to get involved? What factors affect variation in the levels of involvement? Where do Latino GBT participate and what do they do? Data come from a cross-sectional sample (N=643) of Latino GBT in Chicago and San Francisco. We find high levels of involvement, but primarily focused on AIDS/GLBT. Involvement appears to be driven by income, early involvement, role modeling, and childhood stigmatization of gender nonconformity.
Framing and agenda-setting theories suggest that the news media play an important role in influen... more Framing and agenda-setting theories suggest that the news media play an important role in influencing public opinion on policy issues. Previous research using content analysis documents an emphasis on biomedical and behavioral determinants of health and health disparities within the news media, with little attention paid to the social determinants of health (SDOH). This narrow view of health in the news may help explain why the health policy discourse in the U.S. has a similarly narrow focus, despite the large evidence base and understanding among public health professionals regarding the importance of the SDOH. The purpose of this study is to explore how a major trade publication, intended as a news source for public health professionals and a resource for the broader media, presents health disparities. This presentation will describe how health disparities are framed in terms of causes, solutions and attribution of responsibility. Stories were selected among all available newspape...
Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 2014
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the community involvement (e.g., volunteerism, activi... more The purpose of this paper is to investigate the community involvement (e.g., volunteerism, activism) of Latino gay and bisexual men and transgender persons (GBT) in two areas: AIDS/GLBT and other general causes. Drawing from volunteering and identity theories, we explore: Who is likely to get involved? What factors affect variation in the levels of involvement? Where do Latino GBT participate and what do they do? Data come from a cross-sectional sample (N=643) of Latino GBT in Chicago and San Francisco. We find high levels of involvement, but primarily focused on AIDS/GLBT. Involvement appears to be driven by income, early involvement, role modeling, and childhood stigmatization of gender nonconformity.
Despite what experts know about the importance of social
determinants of health (SDOH), poor heal... more Despite what experts know about the importance of social
determinants of health (SDOH), poor health is generally
understood by the public as an individual problem ameliorated
through lifestyle and/or healthcare. To remedy this knowledge gap
and promote policy change, public health professionals are
investing in media advocacy to raise public awareness about SDOH
and promote collective responsibility for health improvement.
However, policy theory suggests this may be insufficient. More
attention to the role of professional communities, as mediators of
research translation and important policy actors, is warranted. We
conducted a content analysis of news articles published by the
American Public Health Association and found substantial attention
to SDOH. However, the discourse was more biomedical than
expected given the evidence regarding the relative importance of
the major categories of health determinants. This may be a barrier
to policy change and detract from the field’s efforts to promote
political action.
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Papers by Gregory Benjamin
determinants of health (SDOH), poor health is generally
understood by the public as an individual problem ameliorated
through lifestyle and/or healthcare. To remedy this knowledge gap
and promote policy change, public health professionals are
investing in media advocacy to raise public awareness about SDOH
and promote collective responsibility for health improvement.
However, policy theory suggests this may be insufficient. More
attention to the role of professional communities, as mediators of
research translation and important policy actors, is warranted. We
conducted a content analysis of news articles published by the
American Public Health Association and found substantial attention
to SDOH. However, the discourse was more biomedical than
expected given the evidence regarding the relative importance of
the major categories of health determinants. This may be a barrier
to policy change and detract from the field’s efforts to promote
political action.
determinants of health (SDOH), poor health is generally
understood by the public as an individual problem ameliorated
through lifestyle and/or healthcare. To remedy this knowledge gap
and promote policy change, public health professionals are
investing in media advocacy to raise public awareness about SDOH
and promote collective responsibility for health improvement.
However, policy theory suggests this may be insufficient. More
attention to the role of professional communities, as mediators of
research translation and important policy actors, is warranted. We
conducted a content analysis of news articles published by the
American Public Health Association and found substantial attention
to SDOH. However, the discourse was more biomedical than
expected given the evidence regarding the relative importance of
the major categories of health determinants. This may be a barrier
to policy change and detract from the field’s efforts to promote
political action.