Abstract
Twenty-six ostomates and 39 nurses were interviewed as a means of examining the effects of media coverage of a famous Japanese male actor's rectal cancer and subsequent intestinal ostomy operation. Ostomates in this study were divided into three groups; those not returning to work,those who would return to work at some point in the future,and those who had already returned to work. The percentage of these subjects who followed this story through the media was 25％,85％ and 33％,respectively.
This study revealed that those in the intermediate group actively sought information concerning the latest stoma care products and readily accepted new stoma care techniques. It was concluded that hospital staff should be sensitive to the fact that the mental states and needs of ostomates change over time.
Seventy-one percent of ostomates sympathized with the actor's situation,and 54％ of ostomates thought that the media should report information concerning the stoma operations and rehabilitation of famous people. Nurses involved in this study,however,did not share this view. They were anxious that ostomates might think that their own stomas were formed as a result of cancer when this was actually not the case.
This study concluded that the mass media should not provide sensational news coverage of the stoma operations of public figures and that restrained news coverage would have a positive effect on ostomates.
