Health News Index: October 2004
Now I’m going to read you a list of some stories covered by news organizations in the last month or so. As I read each one, tell me if you happened to follow this news story very closely, fairly closely, not too closely, or not at all closely. (First,) how closely did you follow this story…?
Total Closely
Very Closely
Fairly Closely
Total Not Closely
Not too Closely
Not at all Closely
DK/ Ref.
Military action and peace keeping efforts in Iraq
88
63
26
11
6
5
*
Campaigns for the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election
78
48
29
22
13
9
*
The recent hurricanes that hit Florida and other states in the Southeast
92
65
27
8
6
2
*
An FDA study on the link between antidepressants and the risk of suicide in children
52
27
25
47
18
29
1
Reports of former President Bill Clinton’s heart bypass surgery
46
17
29
53
28
26
1
The start of a federal racketeering trial against large tobacco companies
28
12
17
71
25
46
1
A survey reporting an increase in the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance premiums
51
25
27
47
21
26
1
Stories about the 2004 U.S. presidential candidates’ proposals for making health care more available and more affordable
70
36
35
29
17
13
*
Reports on the debate over the importation of lower cost drugs from Canada and other countries
67
34
33
33
19
14
*
The withdrawal of the drug Vioxx from the market because of a study finding it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke
60
34
27
39
19
20
1
The nationwide shortage of flu vaccine
81
53
28
18
11
7
*
Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard School of Public Health. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, October 14-17, 2004 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,202.