Original Research

Physicians' perception of health topics covered by traditional media in Morocco: opinion of physicians as consumers of the media

Abdelaziz Hannoun, Nadia Chafiq, Mohammed Raji, M’hamed Elkouali, Rachid Razine
Journal of Public Health in Africa | Vol 14, No 5 | a206 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2023.2275 | © 2024 Abdelaziz Hannoun, Nadia Chafiq, Mohammed Raji, M’hamed Elkouali, Rachid Razine | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 06 April 2024 | Published: 31 May 2023

About the author(s)

Abdelaziz Hannoun, Laboratory of Information Sciences and Technologies and Education (LASTIE), Ben M'SICK Faculty of Sciences, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
Nadia Chafiq, Laboratory of Information Sciences and Technologies and Education (LASTIE), Ben M'SICK Faculty of Sciences, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
Mohammed Raji, Laboratory of Information Sciences and Technologies and Education (LASTIE), Ben M'SICK Faculty of Sciences, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
M’hamed Elkouali, Laboratory of Information Sciences and Technologies and Education (LASTIE), Ben M'SICK Faculty of Sciences, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
Rachid Razine, Laboratory of Social Medicine (Public Health, Hygiene and Preventive Medicine), Laboratory of Biostatistics, Clinical Research and Epidemiology (LBRCE), Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco

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Abstract

Introduction: In Morocco, the traditional media allows messages of non-scientific prescriptions for the treatment of diseases and statements criticizing doctors to pass, which are considered by doctors as defamation and attacks on the honor of the medical profession. The aim of this study was to analyze physicians’ perception in Morocco regarding health topics in the traditional media (TM).

Methods: This is a descriptive transversal study of physicians practicing in Morocco. The data were collected through the use of a questionnaire that included questions on reliability, speed, up-to-dateness and influence of TM, also trust and interest in TM, and quantity, quality of health messages in TM.

Results: A total of 417 physicians responded, among them 234 (56.1%) had little or no interest in health topics in TM; 248 (59.5%) considered the quantity of transmitted messages to be low; 234 (56.1%) considered that health messages in TM are of low quality; 248 (59.5%) had little or no trust in health topics in TM. Also, three quarters [314(75.3%)] of the physicians recognized a moderate to strong influence of TM on health behaviors.

Conclusions: Our results show that physicians have a perception that seems negative towards TM. This may partially explain the chronic tension situation between physicians and journalists/media in Morocco. To better understand this situation and improve this relationship in favor of health promotion, it is necessary to conduct a research addressing the opinion of journalists and the propositions of solutions of both parties.


Keywords

traditional media; physicians; health promotion; advocacy; education

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