Quality of pharmaceutical advertising and gender bias in medical journals (1998-2008): a review of the scientific literature

Objective: To review the scientific literature on pharmaceutical advertising aimed at health professionals in order to determine whether gender bias has decreased and the quality of information in pharmaceutical advertising has improved over time. Methods: We performed a content analysis of original articles dealing with medical drug promotion (1998-2008), according to quality criteria such as (a) the number, validity and accessibility of bibliographic references provided in pharmaceutical advertising and (b) the extent to which gender representations were consistent with the prevalence of the diseases. Databases: PUBMED, Medline, Scopus, Sociological Abstract, Eric and LILACS. Results: We reviewed 31 articles that analyzed advertising in medical journals from 1975-2005 and were published between 1998 and 2008. We found that the number of references used to support pharmaceutical advertising claims increased from 1975 but that 50% of these references were not valid. There was a tendency to depict men in paid productive roles, while women appeared inside the home or in non-occupational social contexts. Advertisements for psychotropic and cardiovascular drugs overrepresented women and men respectively. Conclusions: The use of bibliographic references increased between 1998 and 2008. However, representation of traditional male-female roles was similar in 1975 and 2005. Pharmaceutical advertisements may contribute to reinforcing the perception that certain diseases are associated with the most frequently portrayed sex.

Town law journals from Concord, Mass., 1798-1839

Seven manuscript journals written by Abiel Heywood (Justice of the Peace, town clerk, and chairman of the board of selectmen, Concord, Mass.), Nathan Brooks, William Parkman, and John L. Tuttle containing criminal records, defaulted cases, and civil actions.

Journals of the Legislative Council of the Province of Lower-Canada.

Mode of access: Internet.

Latin Amercian journals dealing with the social sciences and auxiliary disciplines.

Mode of access: Internet.

South American journals, 1858-1859,

"William Gurdon Saltonstall's account of the South American journey": p. [201]-209.

Electronic journals in ARL libraries : policies and procedures /

"August 1994."

A bibliography of articles, descriptive, historical and scientific, on colonies and other dependent territories, appearing in American geographical and kindred journals.

Vol. 2 compiled by Janet Evans Ragatz.

Journals and correspondence of Thomas Sedgewick Whalley;

Disbound Original Held in Oak Street Library Facility.

A dictionary of the law of elections, with the practice from the issuing of the writ to the final decision of the honourable House : comprising all the cases decided, with correct references to the statutes and authorities : extracted from the journals of the House of Commons, the law reports, and the numerous treatises on election laws : with an appendix containing the names of all the boroughs, - when they first returned members - their returning officers - the various rights of voting therein, &c. : the whole alphabetically arranged & carefully digested /

Mode of access: Internet.

An account of the voyages undertaken by the order of His present Majesty for making discoveries in the southern hemisphere. And successively performed by Commodore Byron, Captain Wallis, Captain Carteret, and Captain Cook, in the Dolphin, the Swallow, and the Endeavour: drawn up from the journals which were kept by the several commanders, and from the papers of Sir Joseph Banks, bart.

Mode of access: Internet.

Journals of the House of Commons of the Dominion of Canada.

Appendices of List of appendices in each volume, except volumes: 50, 63, 68, 78, 79, 85, 93, 101.

Journals of the Council of the North West Territories, from 1877 to 1887.

Title taken from binder's title.

Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789.

Mode of access: Internet.

Australia twice traversed : the romance of exploration : being a narrative compiled from the journals of five exploring expeditions into and through central South Australia, and Western Australia from 1872 to 1876 /

Mode of access: Internet.

The American reader, from Columbus to today; being a compilation or collection of the personal narratives, relations and journals concerning the society, economy, politics, life and times of our great and many-tongued nation,

Mode of access: Internet.