from the folder in this week’s content area. Complete the following two charts (one for each news story) using black font.
News Story #1:
What is the name of, and correct APA citation for, this news story? (1 point)
Study: Exercise May Cut Behavior Issues In Half. (2017, January 10). Retrieved from https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/01/10/study-exercise-behavior-half/23166/
What beliefs do you already have about this health topic? How do you think this works? (For example: Do you believe that emotions affect body weight if that is the topic of this news story?) (minimum 50 words, 1.5 points)
Exercise is important for all children irrespective of whether they have behavioral disorders or not. Incorporating exercise in the school curriculum can be of help to all the children. Indeed exercise makes the children active and deters them from participating in unacceptable behaviors. It is evident that sporting activities play a major role in ensuring that children remain active and control their behavior in classroom activities.
What biases do you have about this topic? (minimum 25 honest words, 1.5 points)
The bias in this topic is the fact that only children with behavioral disorders have been studied. Such disorders include ADHD, anxiety, and depression.
Is this news story published in a reputable news outlet (The New York Times, CNN, Reuters, NPR, BBC, NBC News, etc.)? (yes/no, .5 point)
Yes. The news story is published in a reputable news outlet. DisabilityScoop is a premier source for developmental disability news.
Is the news story based on peer-reviewed research (usually, there is a clickable link in the news story that will direct readers to the original research on which the story was based)? (yes/no, .5 point)
Yes. The news story is based on peer-reviewed research that investigated the effects of cyber cycling on classroom behavior of children with behavioral health disorders.
Read the abstract and the results of the original, scientific journal article. Does the news story accurately represent the findings of the study on which it was based? (minimum 25 words, 2 points)
From the peer-reviewed research, cyber cycling used as an exercise plays improved the classroom functioning of children with behavioral health disorders. The news article emphasizes this finding by pointing out that exercises considerably reduce behavior related issues in children.
Does the news story accurately represent the limitations of this research? For example, if the study population only includes men, there may be limitations in applying the findings to women; if the study was done on non-human animals, there may be limitations in applying the findings to humans. If the study is very small, those results may not be generalizable to the population as a whole. Read the limitations and discussion sections of the original research on which your news story was based and decide if the news story mentions these limitations in its discussion of the scientific findings. (minimum 50 words, 2 points)
The limitation of this study is the use of one type of exercise as a representation of the exercises. In the news report, the exercise is generalized and several examples are given. In the peer-reviewed study, the exercise given is cyber cycling. Other aerobic exercises could have yielded different results. The news story is an accurate representation of the research as it echoes the results found in the study.
Is this news story credible (believable)? Answer “yes” or “no,” AND state your reasoning for this choice. Remember, scan yourself for biases and pre-existing beliefs, and see how you can set those aside to honestly evaluate the information you are reviewing. Then, evaluate the other factors that influence the credibility of a health-related news story and describe how these factors together to inform your decision regarding the accuracy of this health information. (minimum 100 words, 3.5 points)
Yes. Considering that the story is based on research then, it is evident that the article is accurate and it represents the results of actual research. In this regard, the information presented is credible and can be verified by linking to the actual research. In the news story, the main focus is on the exercise cyber cycling and how incorporation in school curriculum helps reduce the behavioral problems in children with behavioral disorders. The news story is an accurate representation of the facts and findings of the original research. The news story relies on the one research conducted. It would be important to compare to other studies to assess the effectiveness of the exercise.
News Story #2:
What is the name of, and correct APA citation for, this news story? (1 point)
Cancer deaths are up in poor states as they fall everywhere else. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/cancer-deaths-rise-poor-states-fall-everywhere-else-n711556
What beliefs do you already have about this health topic? How do you think this works? (For example: Do you believe that emotions affect body weight if that is the topic of this news story?) (minimum 50 words, 1.5 points)
Cancer deaths have increased generally all over the world. However, in poor states, the deaths tend to be more. The reason is that the patients do not have access to modern facilities and resources for treatment of the disease. Also, patients do not have adequate health education programs to curb the disease.
What biases do you have about this topic? (minimum 25 honest words, 1.5 points)
The major bias in this topic is that it is limited to the factors of socio-economic status of the patients. Other factors such as environmental factors have been left out.
Is this news story published in a reputable news outlet (The New York Times, CNN, Reuters, NPR, BBC, NBC News, etc.)? (yes/no, .5 point)
Yes. www.nbcnews.com
Is the news story based on peer-reviewed research (usually, there is a clickable link in the news story that will direct readers to the original research on which the story was based)? (yes/no, .5 point)
No. Several links have been provided for studies related to the topic.
Read the abstract and the results of the original, scientific journal article. Does the news story accurately represent the findings of the study on which it was based? (minimum 25 words, 2 points)
The news story summarizes the research that has been provided by the various researches provided. The news story represents the various factors which have led to the contentious issues taking into account primary research carried out through data collection.
Does the news story accurately represent the limitations of this research? For example, if the study population only includes men, there may be limitations in applying the findings to women; if the study was done on non-human animals, there may be limitations in applying the findings to humans. If the study is very small, those results may not be generalizable to the population as a whole. Read the limitations and discussion sections of the original research on which your news story was based and decide if the news story mentions these limitations in its discussion of the scientific findings. (minimum 50 words, 2 points)
The news story represents the findings of the actual research. Further, the news story diversifies on different studies thereby accurately representing the limitations of what a single study could present. The study focused on identifying various trends, patterns, and disparities that may occur in cancer mortality cases in different states in the United States.
Is this news story credible (believable)? Answer “yes” or “no,” AND state your reasoning for this choice. Remember, scan yourself for biases and pre-existing beliefs, and see how you can set those aside to honestly evaluate the information you are reviewing. Then, evaluate the other factors that influence credibility of a health-related news story and describe how these factors together to inform your decision regarding the accuracy of this health information. (minimum 100 words, 3.5 points)
Yes, the story is credible. Actual data on different states have been provided from the studies conducted. Other confounding evidence is also cited in the news story that reinforces on the accuracy of the findings. Therefore, the results of the studies have been used in the development of a valid conclusion. The results of the study have then been linked to the story with accurate data from different sources. In the news story, several links have been provided for related cancer story. In this regard, the reader can compare and contrast the facts provided and draw a valid conclusion on whether the story is valid or not.
