This cross-sectional study evaluated the scientific quality of informative texts on women's health in nationally circulating magazines and described the topics covered. Over a consecutive 12-month period, texts on women's health were collected from the principal Brazilian weekly current affairs magazines (Veja, Época and IstoÉ). Eighty texts were selected and were independently analyzed by two physicians and two journalists, by means of the Index of Scientific Quality, which had been adapted for use in Portuguese and subjected to pilot testing and retesting. The instrument consisted of eight items that ranged from one to five points and measured applicability, opinion versus fact, validity, scope, precision, coherence, consequence and an overall item. The overall item summarized the other items and its median was used for evaluations. The median scientific quality of the texts, relating to the overall item, was three. This demonstrated that the material published was of moderate nature.
Women's health; Scientific journalism; Periodicals; Mass communication media; Scientific and technical publications
