What is the key demographic using the increasingly popular flavor capsule cigarettes? How does internet alcohol marketing influence underage drinking? Are TV parental ratings really effective guides for parents? These are some of the questions that are studied at the C. Everett Koop Institute at Dartmouth College, NH. The Institute focuses on corporate influences on health. In particular, the researchers study the effects of corporate practices and marketing of harmful consumer products including tobacco, alcohol and junk food.
“The work at The Koop Institute is really important. As citizens and consumers, people have a right to know how their interactions with products and outside influences will affect their health. But we can’t all be experts and so we rely on institutions like The Koop Institute to figure out what those impacts are and educate us,” said Sarah Heatherton, who works at the Institute as a ‘Koop scholar’. The Koop Scholars are young student interns who spend a year or two at the Institute after completing their undergraduate education. The internship offers students a taste of research, and allows them to learn techniques and develop skills. Many of them are introduced to the work of The Koop Institute through a Dartmouth psychology course called Adolescent Risk Behaviors taught by Dr. James Sargent, Director of the Institute and an expert on the impact of mass media on health behaviors.
Aminata Traore was the first young intern at The Koop Institute. Now a medical student at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, she says that the internship is a great opportunity to glimpse a different side of healthcare and medicine. “I learned a lot more about how corporations can have an effect on people’s lives on a daily basis. I also saw how you can take research from a very confined space and apply it to a broader scale; for example, how The Koop Institute can help establish policy that shapes how much exposure to smoking kids get on a regular basis through television,” she said in a phone interview. On a more personal note, “I’d say that being a Koop Scholar taught me how to be more critical—to look at the science in research articles and be able to tell good science from bad. This is something every physician should be able to do,” she added.
Traore’s work at The Koop Institute resulted in a publication in the journal Pediatrics. Working with other researchers, Traore did a content analysis of TV shows that were popular with kids. They found that the TV ratings didn’t correlate well with the amount of violence in those shows. “You hear about how children model behavior on what they see on a regular basis and you think about all the cartoons kids are seeing and how much violence they see. It’s a different type of violence compared to a Mature Audience rated show (not blood and gore) but it is still a lot of exposure,” she explained.
Ongoing projects at the Institute that involve current Koop Scholars span a range of topics. Cristiana Salvatori is part of a study that looks at advertising on children’s channels, particularly, movies advertised that contain alcohol brand placement. In another study, she examines how fast food restaurant visit frequency correlates with increased BMI. Zoe Brennan’s projects focus on media. “We are doing a big survey study on how teenagers are getting exposed to media in a variety of contexts—social media and also movies and TV—and what they are being exposed to on those platforms,” said Brennan. The newest recruit, Sarah Heatherton undertook a study that evaluated themes for current alcohol advertisements on TV and identified what she thinks may be a new theme that she calls ‘Carpe Diem’.
“The Koop Scholars help us carry out several important tasks,” said Dr. Sargent. “Many research projects have tasks that require consistent input—gathering literature for a systematic review, content coding important media and marketing inputs, running participants through trials.” He also acknowledged their role in studies on media and marketing. “The Koop Scholars help us stay up to date on how young people use media and media devices,” he said.
In addition to engaging in research, the Koop Scholars maintain the Koop Blog, the centerpiece of the Institute’s website. Each of the scholars focus on one of three specific topics—tobacco, alcohol, and junk food. Together, they compile a collection of current research news, articles and publications about corporate influences on health. “The blog brings information that most people might never think about. Before I started working here I didn’t think about how these corporations are manipulating me as a consumer to want their product. I’m excited for The Koop Institute to get a larger audience so we can disseminate this research more widely,” said Brennan.
When asked what distinguishes an internship at the Koop Institute, the response is enthusiastic. “It’s been fantastic to have the opportunity to develop a range of research skills like data analysis and scientific writing, and explore things that are of interest to me. The experience has been very positive and educational,” said Brennan. Cristiana describes how the internship has helped shape her career goals. “I have always been interested in medicine and pediatrics but I have seen a shift in my perspective on medicine. Previously, primary care was not my first choice, but now I’m seeing the importance of it and seriously considering it,” she said. Traore listed a number of different (and important) skills she learned—critical thinking, interpersonal skills and being comfortable with big data sets. “Being a Koop Scholar is a great choice for an internship whether students know what they want to do or they don’t,” said Heatherton, who majored in African Studies and Anthropology and has developed an interest in Museum Education. “We are encouraged to work with The Koop Institute in ways that are mutually beneficial. They want to encourage us to become competitive candidates for future jobs,” she added.
Commenting on the future of the Koop Scholars program, Dr. Sargent said, “The influence of corporate products on health is immense. The Koop Scholars program is committed to the next generation of critical thinkers and policy makers. Our mentorship program provides our scholars with opportunities to conduct research side-by-side with behavior and policy scientists and publish important findings. The scholars provide us with the critical perspective of young intellects, whatever their ultimate career goals. We hope to challenge the way they think about the world and thereby influence its future.”