An exploration of how online media portrays asthma and its treatment in New Zealand.

Introduction: Asthma is one of the most common long-term conditions worldwide. Mass media can influence public perceptions of asthma and treatment, yet there is limited literature on how online media portrays asthma and asthma treatment. The aim was to explore the portrayal of asthma and inhaled treatments in online mass media in New Zealand.

Methods: Documents were retrieved over a 5-year period from national patient support organizations and online news outlets. These were screened for inhaler images and mentions of two or more keywords relating to asthma. Manufacturers were contacted to access direct-to-consumer advertisements. A coding instrument was developed to quantitatively analyze the retrieved documents.

Results: In total, 124 documents were retrieved and analyzed; 59 from patient support organizations and 65 from online news websites. No online direct-to-consumer advertisements were retrieved. Using inhalers was the most frequently cited asthma management strategy (84%, 84/100). Metered dose inhalers were the most common inhaler device (78%, 175/225) portrayed or mentioned, and blue was the most common color (48%, 109/225). Under half (45%) of metered dose inhalers were shown with a spacer. Online press items contained more emotive themes, such as challenge, fear, and stigma content, than resources from patient support organizations.

Conclusion: Blue-colored metered dose inhalers, traditionally associated with relievers, were the most commonly depicted devices in New Zealand online mass media. Most online news articles used emotive language, while patient support organizations used more objective language. How media influences public perceptions of asthma and its treatment needs to be considered by health promoters.