South West Public Health Training Programme, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK.
Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, LSHTM, London, UK.
Eur J Public Health. 2021 Dec 1;31(6):1197-1204. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckab135.
The Alcohol Industry (AI), and the Social Aspects/Public Relations Organisations (SAPRO) it funds, has been shown to mis-represent the risk of alcohol with respect to cancer and pregnancy. It is theorized that the AI would position alcohol as 'heart healthy' to further undermine public perceptions of risks from drinking.
A comparative analysis (including content, thematic and context analyses) of cardiovascular health information published on the websites of AI-funded (n = 18, such as 'Drinkaware' and the 'Distilled Spirits Council of the US') and non-AI-funded (n = 18, such as 'NHS.uk') organizations based in multiple high-income jurisdictions.
Websites of non-industry-funded health organizations were more likely than AI/SAPRO websites to label alcohol as a risk factor for a range of important cardiovascular diseases (such as myocardial infarction, congestive cardiac failure, hypertension and stroke). Conversely, AI/SAPRO websites were more likely to suggest alcohol was protective in the development of some heart conditions. AI/SAPRO websites frequently referenced the J-shaped curve as proof of benefit from moderate alcohol consumption; suggested a balance between the benefits and harms from drinking; positioned alcohol as consistent with a 'healthy lifestyle'; and framed drinking as a social norm.
AI-funded health organizations mis-represent the evidence on cardiovascular effects of moderate alcohol consumption. Healthcare professionals should appreciate the role of funding source in biasing content, and exercise caution when directing patients to content funded by the AI. Tighter regulation of messaging that AI/SAPRO's provide to the public is required, to avoid the dissemination of harmful misinformation.
酒精行业（AI）及其资助的社会方面/公共关系组织（SAPRO）被发现歪曲了酒精致癌和致孕的风险。据推测，AI 会将酒精定位为“有益于心脏健康”，以进一步破坏公众对饮酒风险的认知。
对在多个高收入司法管辖区设立的 AI 资助（如“Drinkaware”和“美国蒸馏酒理事会”）和非 AI 资助（如“NHS.uk”）组织网站上发布的心血管健康信息进行比较分析（包括内容、主题和背景分析）。
非行业资助的健康组织网站比 AI/SAPRO 网站更有可能将酒精标记为一系列重要心血管疾病（如心肌梗死、充血性心力衰竭、高血压和中风）的风险因素。相反，AI/SAPRO 网站更有可能暗示酒精对某些心脏疾病有保护作用。AI/SAPRO 网站经常引用 J 形曲线作为适量饮酒有益的证据；暗示饮酒的益处和危害之间存在平衡；将酒精定位为与“健康生活方式”一致；并将饮酒框定为一种社会规范。
AI 资助的健康组织歪曲了适量饮酒对心血管影响的证据。医疗保健专业人员应该认识到资金来源在偏见内容方面的作用，并在指导患者访问 AI 资助的内容时保持谨慎。需要对 AI/SAPRO 向公众提供的信息进行更严格的监管，以避免有害错误信息的传播。
