Fredrick Fremita C, Meda Anish K R, Virmani Mini, Kaur Guntash, Singh Baltej, Jain Rohit
Avalon University School of Medicine, Willemstad, Curacao, the Netherlands.
Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center, Plainsboro, USA.
J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. 2025 May 5;15(3):23-29. doi: 10.55729/2000-9666.1495. eCollection 2025.
Synonymous with the American film industry, Hollywood wields considerable influence on public health through its vast global reach and engaging media. This paper explores Hollywood's role and its impacts on public health, primarily driven by its portrayal of healthcare services, illnesses, and related beliefs and provides recommendations to improve "education entertainment" for the future.
PubMed was searched using keywords such as hollywood, healthcare, medical dramas, health education, smoking, suicide, and many more. Relevant literature up to June 2024 has been examined and summarized, which consisted of 37 articles with data from various clinical trials, meta-analyses, and literature reviews.
Medical dramas like "Grey's Anatomy" and "E.R." have educated audiences on medical knowledge, healthcare structures, and inspired healthcare career aspirations. By depicting the realities of medical practice, these shows have enhanced public support for healthcare reforms. Similarly, films like "Contagion" have fostered awareness and empathy by positively portraying healthcare professionals during crises. However, Hollywood's glamorization of certain lifestyles has also contributed to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy behaviors, with increased cosmetic procedure rates and eating disorders linked to media portrayals. Furthermore, the depiction of smoking and vaping, as well as the sensationalized portrayal of suicides, has been shown to elevate risky behaviors and suicide rates among impressionable viewers.
Hollywood's impact on healthcare is thus dual-faceted, necessitating responsible media practices and preventive measures to mitigate adverse outcomes while leveraging its potential for public health education.
好莱坞是美国电影产业的代名词，通过其广泛的全球影响力和引人入胜的媒体对公众健康产生了相当大的影响。本文探讨好莱坞在公众健康方面的作用及其影响，主要基于其对医疗服务、疾病以及相关观念的描绘，并为未来改进“教育娱乐”提供建议。
使用“好莱坞”“医疗保健”“医疗剧”“健康教育”“吸烟”“自杀”等关键词在PubMed数据库中进行搜索。对截至2024年6月的相关文献进行了审查和总结，这些文献包括37篇文章，数据来自各种临床试验、荟萃分析和文献综述。
《实习医生格蕾》和《急诊室的故事》等医疗剧向观众传授了医学知识、医疗保健结构，并激发了人们对医疗职业的向往。通过描绘医疗实践的现实情况，这些剧集增强了公众对医疗改革的支持。同样，《传染病》等电影通过在危机期间正面刻画医疗专业人员，培养了人们的意识和同理心。然而，好莱坞对某些生活方式的美化也导致了身体不满和不健康行为，整容手术率上升和饮食失调与媒体描绘有关。此外，吸烟和吸电子烟的描绘以及对自杀的耸人听闻的刻画，已被证明会增加易受影响观众的危险行为和自杀率。
因此，好莱坞对医疗保健的影响是双重的，需要负责任的媒体行为和预防措施来减轻不良后果，同时利用其在公众健康教育方面的潜力。
